#but also its yearning hours so really all around not fun

[s6dennis]

I'm so tired and feeling pathetique

[dariwrites03]

Fucked up Monday.

A/n: this is the first Ellie x female reader I’ve ever written so pls be kind ??? ( let’s be real, first thing I’ve ever written ngl) Also, English isn’t my first language so excuse my mistakes. Otherwise have fun!

Part 2: https://www.tumblr.com/daribertduck/748855174059130880/fucked-up-monday-23

Summary: Having Ellie as a friend is great. Having her as you’re patrol partner? Even better. Loving her though, that’s where all the problems begin. Especially since Ellie doesn’t feel the same, right?

Warnings: slightly mention of grief, anxiety,post apocalypse world!! Slightly curse words ( what’s you’re favorite curse word? Probably fuck.)

-5,9K words or something xx

The world suddenly became gray, the clouds got thicker and as the rain started to make its way down onto the dirty ground surrounding your house, you knew today was most definitely not a good day. But It's not like you didn't know that already. The last couple of days weren't great either, and that's not something you can blame on the terrible January weather.

No, partly you blame yourself for those terrible hours that turned into days you spent in front of your living room window wasting away important minutes, stuck with way too many thoughts to function. So many things you have to think over and over, without really ending up with an answer that satisfies you. And you blame her, too, for somehow making the world much darker than it already is. But deep down you knew that this wasn't the right way to go, you could not make her the center of your problems, couldn't build your own mistakes around her. But you'd like to try anyway.

Monday, only a week ago, everything was as fine as it could be, considering the circumstances. Because life in the post-apocalypse isn't always easy, because one of your closest friends, Dina, is in love with Ellie Williams. Because Ellie Williams is the girl you gave your heart many years ago.

This specific Monday,where everything went down, you were on patrol with Ellie. Over the past two months, it had become a ritual. The two of you made the best team in Jackson, using supplies judiciously and working smart and fast. Everyone could rely on you both, and you loved it. The feeling of being needed was something great. The idea of people believing and trusting you was something you wouldn't trade for anything. You loved to help, and God knows you were doing a pretty good job at it too.

That Ellie was the one assigned to you wasn't something you were mad about. You craved nothing more than the attention from the emerald green-eyed girl. Knowing that you two spent hours on patrol with nothing but meaningless conversations filling the air made life taste a bit sweeter. And Ellie felt the same way. From the moment you first exchanged words in Jackson, you both knew right away that whatever you had in your hearts for each other was too precious to let loose.

But now, that specific feeling you get whenever you think about her is probably the reason why you're scared in your living room, hiding from everything and everyone, but especially from her.

Having Ellie as your friend was incredible. You both talked about everything and always found playful words even in serious situations, lightening the burden on your minds. But being friends with her wasn't enough for you. You yearned to be closer, to have her in every way you could possibly want a human being. And that terrified you since your friend made her intentions about Dina very clear.

And having her as your patrol partner was the wisest decision Maria ever made. Even though you weren't always assigned to each other, the moments you shared on patrol were precious. The way you both moved in sync, anticipating each other's actions, spoke volumes. It was more than just duty; it was a connection that defied mere partnership.

At first,starting off new right after the parole training Tommy gave you, you were in a group with your cousin Dylan. He was a smart man, kind and caring—one of the closest people you'd ever call family. Not much older than you or your friends, but he lost his life in a fight with a bloader while the two of you went to check on an Abandoned School near Jackson. When you returned without Dylan by your side, the traumatic experience still etched into your bones, you explained the situation to Maria right away, sharing as many details as you could remember. You hoped that you wouldn't have to recount this nightmare of a story multiple times. You described to her exactly where it happened and how you somehow managed to escape, paying the price of Dylan losing his life while distracting the bloader. Maria promised to be there when you told all your family members and to send out a group of people to the building. Their mission: to finish off the bloater and retrieve whatever was left of Dylan for a somewhat respectful funeral. Something he deeply deserved.

After your conversation with Maria, she immediately called Ellie in to ask if it would be okay for her to pair with you. Returning to work wasn't something you originally had in mind, but in hindsight, Maria probably knew that working would keep your mind off things. She was also aware of the deep connection you had with Ellie. If she had assigned you to someone else, you might have been too terrified to venture close to the outside world ever again.

Ellie, however, always wanted to go on patrol with you. She hated the idea of you going with Dylan instead. It wasn't that she didn't like him; it was more that she felt like she lost control the moment the safe gates of Jackson closed, and she wasn't by your side.

The first couple of times the two of you went on patrol together were more challenging than you had anticipated. Sometimes, you believed you could still hear his screams echoing in the back of your mind. Other times, his anguished facefilled your thoughts, and you grappled with the regret of running in the opposite direction. The guilt of what you *should* have done never truly left your mind.

Maria, understanding the weight of your experience, altered the usual patrol routes for you and Ellie. She ensured that you both didn't have to cross the area where the incident with Dylan occurred. Deep down, you knew there was nothing you could have done to save Dylan, yet you couldn't help but blame yourself.

Ellie did her best to empathize, and you noticed and appreciated her efforts. While she couldn't erase all the pain, her presence made the feelings a little less overwhelming. You sensed that she was aware of this too since she let you sleep over at her place almost everyday since and somehow already knew when a new anxiety attack was about to happen without you even knowing it.However, over the past few weeks, you've been avoiding her, along with almost everyone else. The ache in your heart, triggered by thoughts of Ellie being with Dina, became too much for your frightened heart to bear. Distance seemed like the only viable solution—a way to shield yourself from the emotional storm.

On that bittersweet Monday,where the two of you headed out a little earlier than you'd prefer, the sun not yet fully awake, you embarked on a new route. Not far from Jackson, there lay a small town—one that Maria wanted both of you to investigate and "clean." With  that purpose, you made your way over there.

As you and Ellie stepped into this town, its quiet streets greeted you. The air smelled of pine and nostalgia, and the sun cast long shadows across the wooden storefronts. Maria's instructions echoed in your mind.

Ellie walked beside you, her gaze scanning the facades. Her emerald eyes held a mix of curiosity and determination. You wondered what thoughts raced through her mind.

As you explored the town, you noticed faded murals on brick walls, their colors muted by time. Abandoned storefronts stood like sentinels, their windows boarded up, history locked within. The creak of a rusty swing in the town square hinted at children's laughter long gone. And somewhere, perhaps hidden in the shadows, lay the heart of this place.

With each step, you peeled back layers—the layers of dust, of stories, of forgotten dreams. The sun climbed higher, casting warmth on your shoulders.

"Hey, I thought I was funny!" Ellie's voice echoed in the back of your mind, snapping you back to reality and the conversation you and her had going on."God, Ellie, you know I love you lots, but do you have to be so weird?" you asked her, a smirk spreading across your face. "No idea what you're talking about, babe. Am I not allowed to express my love for clothing?" she said dramatically. "Not when you show up at a parole meeting wearing a cowboy hat?!" you said, laughing, recalling the expressions on Maria and Joel's faces when Ellie walked in. "It was a statement!" - "A fashion crime, that's what it was!" Your tone was amused. Ellie didn't respond to your playful jab and just shook her head, her laughter filling the air. That sound, that sweet sound you could never get enough of, made everything feel more than alright. It was just the two of you, on your horses, riding near a lake, continuing to cross the small town, laughing as if this was how it was meant to be. But the comfortable silence that enveloped both of you suddenly halted when you laid eyes on a massive, abandoned mall ahead. "Seems like we need to check this place out," Ellie said, her voice calm as she studied the map in her hands. You tightened your grip on the reins of your horse. "Alright, lead the way?" you asked her. She responded, "Already on it, princess." You rolled your eyes, but the nickname slid off you, making your heart beat faster.

Ellie dismounted her horse, handing you the reins. She strode toward the entrance, determined to open the massive door that separated you both from the darkness within. Meanwhile, you secured the horses to a nearby fence and joined Ellie, who stood waiting. "Ladies first," she quipped, making a sweeping gesture toward the freshly opened door. You rolled your eyes, a small smile tugging at your lips. As you prepared to step inside, Ellie's hand pulled you back. "Spores. Masks on," she mumbled, adjusting her own mask. You followed suit, the cool fabric pressing against your face. Stepping over the threshold, you moved quietly, attuned to the sounds echoing through the abandoned mall from clickers and runners. Ellie held her gun with unwavering resolve, and you mirrored her stance. Her gaze met yours, locking in a shared understanding."Try not to get bit," Ellie said, her voice low. "I don't really feel like shooting you in the head today. Maybe tomorrow, though." Her eyes crinkled, a smile hidden behind the mask. You couldn't help but grin. "Fuck you, Williams," -"Nah, I'd prefer somebody else doing it."

As the two of you make your way deeper into the building, talking nonsense quietly while finishing off Clickers on your way, A loud sound makes you and Ellie stop in your tracks. ''what the fuck was that...'' She mumbled, and you're looking past Ellie in the direction the horror sound was coming from. ''I…”You were unable to speak, move or even breathe because you recognized that sound immediately. ''Hey, are you okay?'' You heard her saying, she moved closer to you and softly grabbed your shoulder with her free hand, shifting your chest so you're looking into her direction again.'' Babe, are you okay?'' Ellie repeated her Question, looking for something in your eyes, you cannot make out. Yet again you were unable to answer, fear slowly making its way up into your lungs, preventing you from breathing properly. She was about to say something again, but she got interrupted by the sound of loud footsteps moving into your direction, revealing one of the most terrifying things this 'new' world has to offer. ''A fucking Bloader...'' Ellie's whisper recalled in your mind and without even knowing it, you're back with Dylan. You were back in the school with him by your side, you hear him screaming your name in pain, begging you to leave, you taste the blood of his on your tongue. You can't breathe. Tears started to form in your eyes, the world got blurry, and that anxious feeling from that same night made its way back into your bones. The feeling of Ellie's hands drifting away from your shoulder, just past to your underarm. Her grabbing your hand was the only thing you noticed before a jerky movement brought you back into reality. Ellie was leading you up an Escalator, running as fast as your guys lungs allowed. ''Fucking shit, we have to move, princess!'' She said, her voice demanding. You couldn't say anything, not even recognizing the nickname she gave you that normally makes your knees weak, the only thing you were able to do was moving with her, her soft hands grabbing your underarm being the only reason you were able to move in the first place.

You couldn't even notice the way Ellie ran a bit faster than you, not letting go of your hand while shooting down upcoming Runners and Clickers, snuffing out whatever life they still clung to. You couldn't even hear Ellie's words as she spoke to you, couldn't see her breaking down a random door and pushing you both inside, closing it firmly and securing it with whatever heavy material she found to lock you two in. Your mind was a whirlwind of panic, grief, and regret. You couldn't move, tears streaming down your cheeks as you tried to control your agonal respiration. The mask felt even more uncomfortable than it already was. Then, two soft hands carefully grabbed your face, removing the mask and gently resting on your skin. It was a lifeline back to reality.

"Babe, you're okay. We're safe. Come on, try to breathe with me, okay?"Her voice slowly penetrated your foggy brain. Your right hand automatically found her wrist, and for a moment, you tried to do what the brown-haired girl in front of you said—you tried to breathe. "Doing so good, Darling,"she encouraged. „Keep going. Focus on me, alright? Breathe in... hold it, love... okay, breathe out." The softness of her voice traveled up to your brain, dispelling the dark smoke that had clouded your thoughts. "Shit..."you whispered, not caring how pathetic you probably looked right now. Her eyes never left yours, and finally, you took your first real breath since arriving in the mall. "Yeah... that probably captures it best,"she said, her touch gentle as she caressed your cheek. She was still a bit out of breath from all the running.

You looked at her for a second longer, and for some inexplicable reason, everything didn't feel so dire anymore. Maybe it was because with Ellie by your side, you could never feel truly unsafe. A grin crept onto your face, and without bothering to hide it, you burst into laughter, tears still wetting your skin. Ellie stared at you, momentarily confused, but her expression softened. She wasn't able to hold on the grinning expression herself.

Ellie looked at you for a moment, her confusion giving way to laughter. "What the hell, the fuck was that?" you said, still chuckling. „I wish I fucking knew“ she said. Ellie's hands remained pressed against your cheeks, and you didn't mind at all. She grinned, pulling you a bit closer until her forehead rested against yours. "You feel okay, though?" she asked, her tone shifting back to concern. You replied quietly, "I'm with you, so... yeah." Ellie didn't say anything, but her touch lingered on your skin before she pulled away.

"Let's try to find a way out of here," she declared, already scanning the small store she'd barricaded you both into. Her movements were purposeful, and you appreciated her practicality. "I'm definitely not cleaning this entire mall up by myself."- „I mean, you did almost half of it already?“ you said, grinning again. „Yeah, the others can do the other half. I’m fucking done with this place.“

The closeness between you wasn't weird; it was familiar. Ellie had always been a touchable person, and you never complained. In fact, you loved the feeling of having her close—the warmth of her skin against yours. It had happened countless times before Hands touching a little too long, hugs that stretched into eternity, and mornings waking up tangled together. It was no longer something to overthink; it just was—a connection that transcended words.

You made your way through the store, noticing only just now that it used to be some sort of clothing shop. ''hey, look at that. Should I grab that for Dina?'' The voice from the opposite of the room bought your attention, you let your eyes travel their way to where your best friend is standing, holding up a basic brownish lined jacket, weirdly posing with it like she's some sort of model getting pictures taken. ''Yeah. Sure, do that.'' You said, already regretting how your voice sounded out loud. Ellie being in love with Dina wasn't news to you, you were the first person she ever told about her undeniable feelings towards Dina. That your heart shattered in about a million pieces isn't something you ever considered of telling her-You wanted to be supportive, knowing that Dina also felt the same about your best Friend. ''Is everything alright?'' Ellie said, confused by your lack of enthusiasm. ''Yeah, all good, just still, you know, fucked up from that bloader trying to rip us apart.'' You answered while pretending to look through some of the clothes. you practically didn't lie. The encounter with the bloader made you feel all weird and anxious, you were already struggling with not allowing yourself to even think about the incident and with that thing crossing your path it was almost inevitable to keep those memories locked away. Ellie looked at you as she isn't really buying it ''Hey, we don't have to leave right away. We surely can take a break?'' she suggested, making her way over to you. ''A break does sound fucking nice.'' You said, giving the slightly taller girl a tired smile. Ellie nodded at you, nudging your shoulder with hers while walking past you. Now opening a gray door behind the cash register with the words ''Employees only.'' written on lined paper.

Entering the common room was more than disappointing. Although there was an old sofa welcoming your stay, Ellie and you must've shared the same idea because before you could even make a step towards the in dark blue colored sofa, Ellie already dropped her body on it with a load groan. "Fuck you, move your ass over, El.'' You said, smirking as you moved to the small space. She looked up at you, her face blessed with another grin as she crossed her arms behind her head. ''Nah, I'm quite comfortable, thanks for suggesting it though!'' She closed her eyes and moved around on the cheap looking fabric to find the most comfortable position. ''Oh yeah? I mean, you wanted this. Practically dared me to do it'' You said. One of her closed eyes opened „what do you mean?“ she said. Without saying another word you set yourself as carefully as you can down on her lab. Ellie, on the other hand, dramatically lifted her upper body up, pretending to cough for much-needed air ''Help!! Help!! Doctor, I Can't breathe!'' Her arms went in every direction, making it seem like she's struggling to move, "c'mon, fuck you, I'm not even using my full body weight!" You said defending yourself. "Okay, okay, I'm done for. Dead, you won this round, you're officially the “Ellie defeater”.now get down!" She said, laughing as she gently pushed you from her lap. As you got up, Ellie actually made some space for you to sit down, which you did almost immediately. You lean your head against the wall behind you and look at your best friend now sitting leg crossed facing you. "You actually feeling okay tho?" she' asked for what felt like a million times today, which brought a small honest smile onto your face „yeah, as okay as I can be. Seeing that thing did bring some memories back, if rather forget. Thanks for saving me though" you said, playing with the strands of your jacket. „Yeah, glad to be your savior when time gets rough. You owe me one" she said, grinning. "Yeah, sure I owe you" you said. „Totally. Hmm," she said, pretending to think "what could you possibly do for me to regard me for saving your life?" with a grinning face she looked you up and down, and you knew immediately that what your friend had in mind wasn't something that's going to turn out good. „What are you thinking right now? Should I be scared?"- ''Don't know yet.'' Ellie said, lifting her body into a more comfortable sitting position."How about... I ask you a question, and you'll answer truthfully?" Ellie's words carried a weight of seriousness, and you couldn't help but feel anxious. "I'm always honest?" you replied, looking at her, bluffing with your answer. You knew that you weren't always honest, but you kept your own truth close to your heart because it wouldn't change the outcome anyway. Survival often required pretty white lies.

"Cut the bullshit. Okay, so... why are you avoiding Dina all of a sudden?" The question caught you off guard, and you looked at your best friend as if you'd just seen your dead cousin dancing with a Clicker in the distance. "What? I'm not?" you said, knowing Ellie wouldn't buy your bluff. "Hey, you promised to answer truthfully," she insisted, making you roll your eyes. "I never said I'll answer." You shrugged your shoulders, and Ellie gave you a slightly annoyed look.

"Babe... be honest," her voice calm and almost a whisper, her body leaning against the sofa frame. "Dina and I talked about this. She feels insecure, like she's done something wrong. And thinking about it, I feel like you've been avoiding me as well. The only time I ever see you is on patrol. It used to be more, you know? We barely talk. I think it's rather sad. Have I done something? Has Dina made you uncomfortable? Don't give me that look, love. I'm trying to understand you." Her voice shifted from calm to confused, and you knew right away that Ellie wouldn't let this go until she knew the real reason for your distance.

"No... Dina did nothing wrong."It's the only thing you're able to answer. You look down at your hand, playing with the matching bracelet you share with Ellie. „Did I do something...?"you hear her whisper, her voice filled with insecurity. Your heart clenches at the thought of being the reason why Ellie's overthinking her behavior. So, before you can overthink your next move, you look up to her. You move your body a bit closer and lay your hand on her knee, comfortably caressing the fabric of her skinny jeans.

"No... God, of course not. You did nothing wrong. It's just... it's me."Her eyes meet yours, and you know right then and there that you're fucked, unable to lie with her eyes looking at you like that. „What is it, then?"she whispers, resting her own hand on yours. The touch makes you feel like you need to run away as fast as possible. „I... I'm hurt, okay?"You say it with all the honesty in your heart. „Hurt? From what? Dina and I didn't—"You don't let Ellie finish her sentence. Instead, you get up from the comfortable sofa and run your hands over your face. "... this is exactly why I don't want to talk to either of you!"You're now standing in the middle of the room, looking at Ellie who remains in the same sitting position. Her eyes follow you as you pace the small common room.

"You and Dina, all day... when I hang out with you, you only tell me how beautiful she is, how perfect you guys are together, and how deeply in love you are. If I hang with D, it's the same fucking story."Your voice shakes with all the built-up anger inside of you. You're well aware that you don't have the right to be mad about those two people falling in love. You've never even addressed your feelings to anyone else except your mirror at 3 am. How are Ellie or Dina supposed to know that it's ripping you apart? "And what's your problem with that? And did Dina really say she’s into me too?" Ellie asks, and you couldn't help the tears already welling up in your eyes again. "Yes, she did, Ellie. You know she feels the fucking same," you say, your voice breaking into a desperate whisper.

"Hey, the fuck?" Ellie's voice is already alarmed with worry as she gets up to walk those three more steps, entering your personal space again. Her hand reaches for yours, but you subtly step away from her, your back slightly hitting the white wall behind you. "Love, what? Why are you crying? What does Dina feeling the same have to do with you avoiding us?" She asks, her eyes showing some sort of disappointment the second you stepped away from her."Just... forget it, okay? I don't want to talk about it." You mumble, your voice breaking. "But I want to talk about it." Ellie's eyes never leave yours until you look down at your dirty, almost broken Converse shoes. "Ellie, just leave it b—" You get interrupted by Ellie's sharp voice cutting you off. "For fucks sake, can you be fucking honest for once? I don't get your fucking problem. You don't talk, you ignore me and Dina, and now you're saying it's because Dina and I are falling for each other? I thought you're fucking happy for me! Like a best friend should be! I don't understand you, really, I don't." Her voice grows louder with every word. You try to say something again, but you can't bring yourself to talk. You notice Ellie walking toward you again, the wall behind you failing your escape. You felt anger rushing over you, mixed with regret and.. disappointment.

"How about you finally say what you think, huh? Can't go around treating your friends badly because you have some weird jealousy problems. It’s not my fault you don’t have other friends besides me”She's mad, and you know she doesn't understand your reasoning for drifting away from her. Deep down, you also know she's just hurt and, more importantly, scared of losing you.

"...Why are we still talking about this?" You say, and for the first time in what feels like forever, you look into her eyes. She's already looking at you, and god, she's close—too close. "We're going to talk about this until you tell me what's going on." Tears continue to stream down your face for the second time today but this time not because you were sad. You were angry, without even being sure at who you’re angry at.You shake your head, not wanting to answer, and begging to whatever is above you to somehow make Ellie drop the entire topic. ''No, no, you'll answer me right now. What the hell is wrong with you?'' Her hands grabbing your shoulders, pressing your body more against the wall behind you. „You already know it anyways, now let go of me.'' You said, although you were not even trying to pushing her away. ''Not until you answer me with your own words. I Can do this all day'' She said. ''fuck,els, you don't want to know, okay? Just forget it, let me go and let's get the hell out of here''-''So that you can ignore me again? Hell no, we're having this talk now even if it's the last thing I’ll do'' She demanded. ''I don't know what you want from me right now, Ellie!'' you said, voice rising as well with every new word leaving your lips. ''The truth! Why the fuck are you avoiding us?!'' You closed your eyes, taking all that bravery you have left inside you to speak the next heart wracking words filled with honesty. ''Because I Can't handle you falling for somebody else. Because knowing you want her breaks my fucking heart, because I want to be the girl you think about, talk about, dream about! Because I fucking love you, okay?! I’m sorry!” You looked at her, eyes scared, like a little puppy. She didn't answer but didn't let go of your shoulder either. ''you happy now?'' You said and before Ellie could prevent it, you took the moment of her confusion as a way to escape her grip, pushing her away slightly. That movement was the wake-up call Ellie needed because she grabbed your shoulder again just to push you into almost the same position, back pressed against the cold wall.

And suddenly, you waited—waited what felt like ages—for the eclipse of her cutting words to happen. You anticipated her telling you to never talk to her again, accusing you of selfishness, and lamenting the ruin of a perfectly good friendship. But instead, there was silence. The only sound that reached your ears was her deep breathing, mirroring your own. And in that hot, suspended moment, you feared she could hear your heart beating, laid bare and vulnerable for her to either take or break. You studied her face intently, fear gripping your heart. Scared of what you might find in her expression. She does the same. Ellie's eyes traced every contour, mapping your features as if committing them to memory. And then, abruptly, her gaze halted. It rested on your lips-

"What are you doing?" you barely whispered, your voice a fragile thread in the charged air. The brown-haired girl lifted her gaze to meet your eyes once more, only to trace a deliberate path back down to your lips. A soft, almost imperceptible pressure settled against your chin, her hands holding you in place. Her thumb danced gently over your bottom lip, igniting a flutter of anticipation within you. You swallowed, the moment hanging suspended—a fragile bridge between friendship and something more you’re not ready to cross. "Ellie..." you murmured, the syllables almost lost in the charged silence. Her face drew closer to yours, breaths mingling, and before you could draw your next breath, her lips crashed onto yours without further hesitation. A simple kiss, yet it ignited a cosmic explosion within you. Her lips on yours transformed the quietude into a kaleidoscope of colors. Every rational thought in your brain was stripped away, replaced by her presence—the warmth of her hand still cradling your chin, the delicate shift as it left your shoulder to encircle your waist. Your fingers, guided by instinct, wove through her tousled hair, pulling her closer. Because when it's Ellie, close is never close enough.

As you finally convinced yourself to pull away, the air around you seemed to shimmer with heat. But your brain? It was a tangle of wordless wonder, unable to string coherent thoughts together. So, without hesitation, you drew her back into your space, pressing your soft lips against hers once more.

———————————————————

The ride back was weird. The air around the two of you, once filled with comfortable silence, had shifted. Now, it hung heavy with unspoken words, a chasm between you that seemed insurmountable.

After the kiss, neither of you said much. You swiftly wiped away your tears on the gray sweater you wore—a piece that belonged to Dylan, a memory of another time. Ellie, unable to meet your gaze, chose the only sensible course of action: finding a way out of the mall, escaping the charged atmosphere that clung to you both. Escaping you. And so, you found a backdoor, a clandestine escape from the weirdness that had enveloped you both. Even as you stepped into the outside world, a part of you wished you could linger within those walls a little longer. The horse up front awaited you, and you mounted it, riding away from the mall. The silence between you and Ellie weighed heavily, an unspoken question echoing: Why did it all become so weird?

Embarrassment clung to the silence, and you wondered what comfort you had once found in the noise—the cacophony of everyday life. But answers eluded you. As you returned to Jackson, Ellie by your side, you led the horses back to the stable. Maria received a brief explanation about the situation inside the building, her eyes curious but respectful. And then, without uttering a single word, you and Ellie went your separate ways. The silence remained, a chasm that neither of you dared to bridge.

This was 2 Days, 5 Hours and 54 Minutes ago. But who's Counting, right?

Ever since then, knowing you had three days off parole with her, you barricaded yourself at home. Maria didn't question it; she probably assumed it was because the bloader brought back too many memories. You certainly wouldn't correct her on that theory. Instead, you settled by the big window in your living room, watching raindrops trace their paths on the glass. But it couldn’t it stay that way and you knew eventually you'd have to talk to her, face her, and work with her. You didn't want things to become even more awkward than they already were. So you prepared yourself for a long, difficult talk.

With what felt like hours of convincing yourself and an argument you played out in your head, you got up and made yourself look presentable again. Leaving the comfort of your house, you took a little walk around the built neighbourhood in Jackson, pondering what you'd even say to her. Instead of taking the short road leading directly to Ellie's safe four walls, you made your way to one of the information stations across town, just to have a quick look at next week's schedule.

Arriving there, you meet a friendly face: Sophia. She's almost like Maria's right hand, diligently putting up new lists every week. You give her a small smile, though the turmoil inside you threatens to spill over. Her pitying look doesn't go unnoticed. Your eyes scan the handwritten list, searching for your and Ellie's names, followed by the assigned route. But something catches your attention: Ellie's name isn't next to yours anymore; it's now paired with Dina. You blink, thinking it's some cruel, messed-up joke. Your eyes dart around, seeking your initials, and there they are—next to Jesse.

"What the hell?" you mumble, the confusion swirling in your mind. Sophia approaches, sensing your distress. "Can I help you with anything?" she asks, her voice gentle. You hesitate, then blurt out, "Why am I assigned with Jesse instead of Ellie? Is this some sick joke?"

Regret tinges your voice; it's not Sophia's fault. Mistakes happen, right? She shifts uncomfortably, glancing at You. "Oh, Maria didn't talk to you yet?" she says, reading your expression. "Uhm, Williams, here." She points to the list, where Ellie's name is scrawled in an unsteady handwriting. "Asked Maria to switch parole partners... I don't know why," Sophie mumbles, fear evident in her eyes on how you'd take the news.

You turn to the door hearing a cracking sound, and there's Maria, striding toward you with multiple papers in hand.

"Maria, what the—" Your words catch in your throat. Maria's weathered face meets your gaze. "Hey, sweetie, don't give me that look," she says gruffly. "I tried to talk Ellie out of it, but she insisted on changing partners. Didn’t even gave me an explanation but I could tell she was serious. And since you and Jesse are friends as well, I thought it wouldn't make much of a difference. He can help you out” she said, making it sound like not a big deal.

She insisted on changing.

The words hang in the air, a sledgehammer to your already fragile heart. Is this how it’s going to be from now on? What are you supposed to do?

[funficwriter]

A Wolf and A Snake (Wriothesley x Reader)

Letters' Interlude - 1

A/N: So these aren't official chapters per say, just an extra to the story that explores the yandere dynamic I'm trying to put forth! Also, I love listening to romantic music while writing for this 🩵 Until I finish Chapter 2, enjoy!

Synopsis: Being a noble meant that marriage was a chess game, not an affair of love. Unfortunately for the pristine Balthazar family of Fontaine, Y/N has long been enamored with love and sought it out before their priorities. After her grey, boring time of courtesy and fake niceness, she meets Duke Wriothesley, who makes her yearn for the first time in her life, and it's the same for him. Threatened by the idea of losing this first, it seems they'll stop at very little to be together...

Warnings: Obsessive yandere language, graphic details in Wriothesley's.

Tag: @yue-caelum

From: Lady Y/N Balthazar - Balthazar Vacation Manor, Belleau Region, Fontaine

To: Duke Wriothesley of Meropide - Fortress of Meropide, Liffey Region, Fontaine

Dearest Duke,

I am not quite sure how to begin or structure my thoughts, so I hope you forgive me if this letter turns out messy. It's barely been 24 hours since our fateful meeting and I finally got some privacy. I should interest you in the fact that today's tea is Earl Grey. I'm having it right now, accompanied by a chocolate and strawberry mille-feuille. If you're ever feeling bold, I'd recommend this combination. Quite the contrast on the taste buds.

I realized that even with our cadence and how we enjoyed chatting together, there's still so much to know. How have you been doing? I'm presuming you're at the Fortress. How is life there? How do you spend your days there? Is it a lot of work? You told me a bit of the nurse. Sigewinne, if I recall correctly. Does she have a lot of patients? And what tea do you drink when you're feeling so tired and done with the world? (I'm partly asking this one for myself. Some days are like that.).

Though I must say, since Liffey is a bit far from Romaritime or the Court's region, you must have a good teleportation waypoint. Belleau is far, too, but by Focalors' name it is enjoyable. It's quiet, lush and lovely. The water is so nice to swim in too. I find that regular swimming is one of the most beautiful parts of my day. I might be heading into more dangerous territory saying this, but I believe you'd enjoy it a lot if I took you with me. If you had a day off and I showed you around, we could then swim in one of the lakes. It's so refreshing and fun, and a good break from the city.

Don't get me wrong; I love its bustle and life. But I know when we return, I'm going to have to look over these boring nobles' declarations, and meet with them more often. Speaking of which, I'm sorry to sound so forward, but... Well, are you interested in carrying this further?

I'd like to tell you something about my worldview. As you know, I read a lot, but last night I couldn't get into the 'why' due to mother's timing. As a child, I felt strangely bored with existence, maybe to a worrying point. That would explain my parents' fretting. I liked the dance and violin lessons, but there was something about my books that gave my gray life a bit of color. Unfortunately, having to come back to real life was a painful must. There were times where I thought to myself: "Is this really life? Boring, plain, and feeling wrong for watching everyone's intense reactions while I derived joy from so few things?". I didn't even want to think about my future as I become a woman. This was all before we met.

Ah, Wriothesley! I've been imagining it over and over in my head! I even stood outside in the cold and closed my eyes and pretended you were right next to me... Imagine my pain when I confronted reality, mixed with the excitement I felt remembering you! Even now, I can't stop kicking my feet as I write this. For the very first time, I was proven wrong. I was mistaken about life, and who said mistakes were bad? After years of chasing perfection, believing it was beauty and goodness... Why, I might have committed the most beautiful fault in existence!

Will you please prove me wrong again? I know I might get greedy and stick to my old worldview, just for it to happen again. But I swear, I'll be good and I'll stop. I just want to feel my entire body and soul rattling in excitement once more. And you're the only one that happens with.

Mother and Father are planning another social, soon after we return to the Court's region. My understanding says you're not often social, so if you don't want any part of it (or even, if I'm being too intense), discard this letter. I must go now, but if you're as invested as I, I will be awaiting a response. And if Celestia is kind, I will be open for more. I'll be open for anything if it's with you.

Yours truly,

Lady Y/N Balthazar

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Duke Wriothesley of Meropide - Fortress of Meropide, Liffey Region, Fontaine

To: Lady Y/N Balthazar - Balthazar Vacation Manor, Belleau Region, Fontaine

To my cherished Lady,

I would like to start off by expressing my most feverish thanks, for reasons beyond enumeration. You taking the time to send me this lovely letter is the least of them. It is generally good form for a Duke to answer quick when he can, but I was so overjoyed with your letter's contents, I re-read it many times to take in all the joy you graced me with. I was also very touched with your personal confiance in me, so I'm also writing to return the favor.

First off, do you know how much I yearn to hear about your day, down to the little details? You talked a good deal about Belleau. I didn't care much about that region before, but now? All I've been thinking about is those fresh waters and woods you praised so highly. The only imagination I entertained was you, holding my hand, whispering that there were no nosy gossipers or greedy parents. Just the two of us, and the lake was all ours to swim in until we couldn't.

If it makes you laugh, I thought about it so much, I almost mistakenly wrote some prisoners' region tab as Belleau. Had Sigewinne not been near, the administrative mistake would have been a pain to fix. Are you laughing? I hope for it with all my heart.

And I want to know more. I want to know whether Earl Grey is your favorite, or you're only taking it because it's been brewed at that time. I want to know which chocolate you like best. Which books you're currently reading, and why you're so interested in lycanthropes without a hint of discrimination. Will you tell me more? If we get the chance to talk with less barriers, will you enlighten me with you?

After getting to know your old worldview, I question just how alike we are. It's easy for two people to share superficial interests. But when one feels so dissected, so naked knowing about another's deeper life and secrets, you can't help but question whether Celestia really does link souls. Whether you once knew them, or whether fate can be so perfect to send such a person your way. I'm sure you felt terrified writing it. Your mailbox may be private, but who knows when your family feels nosy and reads it? You know of the risks that come with such correspondence, especially as a maiden. Despite that, you didn't throw it into the trash. You wrote it, and sent it to me, letting me know about you. You may have just intoxicated me, and now I feel like I might die if that is all I know of you.

As respect to this, I'll confide in you, only it may be a little graphic. "If you feel queasy after this, feel free to end our correspondence here."... Is what I wish I could say with full honesty, because after that night, I'm not sure whether I can really be okay with that outcome.

I used to commit crime, both petty and serious. Such was the life of an orphan at the time. Being little fish wasn't an option; You had to be the top dog or get eaten alive. I opted for the first, even if it landed me in prison later on. My convictions range quite a bit, but once I grew up, I renounced crime. Even insignificant things. I wanted to leave that behind me.

Forget the obvious stealing sweets from the kitchen. When I saw that slimy Duke Arya talking to you, touching your shoulder, acting as if he always knew you and your wedding was tomorrow, I never felt the urge to murder as much as I did that night. The reasons behind my old violent crimes felt so small next to the ugly sight in front of me. You clearly didn't want him, but he kept going, as if you'd magically change your mind and be into slimeheads like him. How dare he be the reason you were pulled apart from me? Where does he get the gall to take you, act like you're owed to him if your parents decided?

How I wanted to end his pathetic standing, laughing, breathing. How I wanted to use my vision and punch his head out into an ice block, then freezing his wrangling body so he wouldn't mess up the carpet. How I wanted to lunge at him, bite, claw and make a bloody mess out of him. What did it matter if I perpetuated half-wolf stereotypes, when he was doing this? Which would hurt him more? Only one idea stopped me: You might not react to a show of violence so well. Oh, if I traumatized you, I'd never forgive myself. Being sent back to jail would be too light a punishment for a beast like that.

Please don't worry about transport, or ask about my attendance. I'm determined to attend that social. I'm so happy you told me about this in advance; I'm going to be seeing you, in all your radiance and beauty that make the world pale. So long as that happens, all is well for now. In the meantime, I'm adding some final touches to my declaration, and eagerly waiting for our next meeting, and hopefully the time I can freely take you into my arms, kiss you and prove the both of us wrong about everything.

With all the love I can hold,

Duke Wriothesley

[beekeeperspicnic]

hello, i am also sick and sitting around at home without the will to do any of the homework i feel like i should be doing. solidarity! (and good job taking care of yourself)

i am very excited for the game :D for many reasons, not least of which is that i recently-ish came to the realization that i'm aro and have been yearning for relationship mechanics in games where friendship is an equally significant option to romance.

for the sake of actually asking a question: are there any fun little details in the game that you're not sure anyone will notice, but that make you happy to know they're there? (and if they're not spoilery, can we see them?)

Oh nooo, hope you're feeling better soon! I hope you enjoy the aro aspects of the game and its focus on friendship, it's a part of the game which is really important to me!

There are SO many little hidden details and interactions. Beekeeper's Picnic isn't a very long game, but it is deep - I wanted to make a game where the player will think "There's no way there's specific dialogue for me doing this silly thing" and then there is. Most characters have a reaction to being shown every item in the game, and some of my favourite dialogue happens when the player does that.

One thing that I feel like nobody but me will realise is a reference unless they are told is this dialogue:

Holmes: I did once own an Edison phonograph, with some thoughts that I might record some memoirs of my childhood onto wax disc. Alas, I am not the wordsmith and storyteller that Watson is. I'm afraid my tale was rather dull… and now my attic is brimming with wax cylinders.

In the 80s there was this obscure Young Sherlock Holmes series which had a framing device of being narrated by the voice of Holmes who had recorded all his memoirs of his youth for Watson on wax cylinders, which I thought was really funny considering phonograph cylinders could hold about 2 minutes of audio and the series was eight hours long.

So that is basically a joke entirely for me, I don't expect anyone else to get what inspired it!

[hannahssimblr]

Jen is fully awake, bright eyed and stomping around looking at the art when we arrive at the gallery. I suspect she's hopped up on sugar after I bought her a plate of overpriced pancakes in a cafe in the middle of town. 

“Woman, yearning,” after reading aloud from a gallery placard next to an abstract work she stands back to ponder it for several seconds. “Where’s the woman? I just see blobs. Ugly blobs too.”

“Is that a serious question or are you just giving out?”

“I’m offering my critiques,” she says haughtily, narrowing her eyes at it. “The point is that I wouldn’t hang that in my house.”

“Hang it where? It’s like, fifteen feet tall.”

“Well, all I’ll say is that I’m now a woman, yearning for my ten seconds back.”

Evie titters. 

“Don’t encourage her,” I mutter, “It’s better to ignore it. She did this when I took her to the zoo once too.”

“You don’t like the zoo?” Jen doesn’t hear her because she’s already rushing to the next room, and as I suspect, to the merciful end as quickly as possible. I answer for her, “No, she hated it.”

“Was it the sad animals?”

“No, her feet just hurt. There was too much walking.”

The room we follow Jen into is stark and completely bare, save for an enormous, rusted iron sculpture dangling by a chain from the ceiling. I know what she is going to say about it before she does. 

“I just don’t understand how this is art. It’s just ugly, and it makes no sense to me. I’m sorry if that makes me sound ignorant, but I just don’t see the skill in this.”

“It’s not really about the skill though. It’s all in the process,” I'm explaining this for probably the fourth time this hour, but I can see in Jen’s face that she's frustrated, genuinely so, and I really do feel bad for her. While it was nice of her to come, I feel I should have just let her stay at home and hang out on the beach with one of her magazines for the day.

Evie bends to read the placard, “It’s supposed to evoke a reaction, and I guess you being confused by it counts as a reaction, so you could say that it’s done its job,” She turns and flashes a sympathetic smile at Jen. This is a very nice thing she’s done, attempting to help her to relate to the art, but I suspect from the aura of complete resignation emanating from her that we are past the point where such a thing is possible. 

As a last ditch effort I try to gently explain the purpose of modern art in a way that sounds accessible, and not like I’m just regurgitating my art history textbook, but her eyes have glazed over. She doesn’t care about the sculpture, she doesn’t care about what it means or how it’s intended to make her feel, she’s simply had enough. 

“I don’t know, guys, I think I'm going to go browse in the gift shop. I’m not picking up what this exhibition is putting down,” she trudges off towards the stairs and leaves us on our own, her footsteps echoing, distant, then gone.

I’m aware of the quiet once she isn’t there anymore, poking fun at the exhibit, and Evie, who was quiet already, becomes even more so. As she examines the sculpture for longer, I wonder what meaning she’s found in it. Really, to me it is just kind of a big rusted lump, but I’m nervous about admitting that to a person who seems to understand what she's looking at. I stand and pretend to enjoy it for an amount of time that feels more acceptable.

When she wanders into the next room I follow. This one has an old TV in the corner, and sunlight streaming in through the big sash windows catching specks of dust drifting through the air. We watch this uncomfortable performance art video of a man stripping down to his underwear and climbing into a bed. It feels sexual in nature, while also feeling kind of weird and not that way at all. I don’t know the intention, or which emotion it’s supposed to awaken in me. I say “cool” so that she thinks I understand the point of it, though I’ve never much liked performance art. I find it embarrassing to watch.

I don’t think she’s going to try and make any kind of conversation, but maybe she doesn’t want to make too much noise in an art gallery. Maybe she’s shy. My nose runs so I sniff, and even that sounds offensively loud. 

“So what’s your deal?” I ask her as we move onto another exhibit. 

She pauses, surprised, “To be honest, there’s not much to say about me.”

“Of course there is.”

“No, well,” she laughs self consciously, “I’m not that interesting, is all. I don’t want to bore you.”

“Seriously, I want to know.”

Her eyes dart around the room as though she might find something to distract the conversation away from herself, then failing, says, “Like, Tullamore is dull, I go to an all girls’ school and really, nothing very interesting happens day to day.”

I exhale a laugh. These are her bullet points. I bet this is what she says to everyone to make them stop asking. Unfortunately for her I'm only comfortable when someone is speaking. “So you wish you could leave.”

She makes a small sound of agreement, and then says nothing for a few seconds. From the centre of the room I watch her drift about glancing at the works. “Yeah,” she says eventually, “all the time. I kind of feel like… I don’t know, like I don’t belong there or something. It’s a small town and I think I’m just a bit different from a lot of people.”

“I understand that.”

She nods, “I’d love to be somewhere with likeminded people. That’s why I really envy you going to Berlin, I just imagine what it’d be like to be able to be fully myself and everyone would be just… fine with it.”

She envies me? Already?  She won’t for long. “Oh well, it was an easy choice for me. I feel the same as you sometimes too, like, I just want to know what else is out there. I don’t want to go back to the US, but I don’t really want to stay in Ireland either. I don’t know about needing to be a different person though. Don’t you think that if you were yourself here then people would be fine with it?” 

She runs slender fingers along the plush velvet of a barrier, and I’m struck by how easy she makes it to have this conversation, even with the back of her head. I don’t usually talk with strangers like this, but maybe it’s precisely because we are strangers that we can.

Michelle complained sometimes that strange men would corner her on the bus from time to time and start spilling their secrets entirely unsolicited, things like affairs they’d had, money they’d gambled away, unforgivable lies they had told. They unloaded it all on some random girl in her school uniform who couldn’t ruin them, who they’d never see again. I wonder is this like one of those demented conversations. There isn't much about Evie that strikes me as especially demented though. Her openness is refreshing.

“I don’t know. I feel like I’ve such a history of being… odd, and doing weird things, and I don’t know if I can come back from that,” she admits, “I’d rather just start again and be a new, better version of myself somewhere else.”

I suppose she is a bit odd. Not in a bad way, but there’s a certain manner in which she moves, floating about the room, this dreamy cadence to her speech, these brief moments of intensity that cross her face and interrupt that other worldly, spacey look she has. She’s her own person. I'm not surprised stuff is hard for her, since teenagers resent people they cannot understand.

I picture her at my school, how the girls might have spoken about someone like her, what the rugby boys would have thought. Yeah, obviously she’s real fine, imaginary Fitzy says in my head. He’s picking dirt out of his studs with a twig, bit kooky, though, isn't she? Weird. Like she’s an alien from Mars or something like that. 

She meanders over to a bench and sits. “What about your friends though?” I join her, “and your boyfriend? Don’t they like this current version of you?”

She squawks out a raucous laugh that ricochets through the room, and several people look at us. Her eyes widen and she clamps her hands over her mouth, like what I just heard was the expulsion of a demon and not just a natural laugh, “Sorry, I don’t know what that was!”  

“Did I say something I shouldn’t have? Sorry, your reaction was just-”

“No no, just you said that Liam is my boyfriend and-”

“Oh, shit, he’s not? My bad, I just assumed,” I assumed because he told me as much. Was he lying or does he just not know? 

“No, he’s not. I don’t know what he is, we just hang out and stuff. He’s a really nice person.”

“He is,” I debate whether to say more. “Hm. I always feel so bad about Liam.”

“What? Why?”

“Because we used to be so mean to him when we were younger.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he was just this happy little kid, he always wanted to be involved with us, but it was like, he was always way too eager, you know what I mean? We thought he was this hokey little country boy, we used to think it was really funny to mess with him.”

“What kinds of things did you do?”

“Nothing terrible. Just… it was more like…” I shouldn’t have started this conversation, “He thought that we were really grown up or something, I guess, and he wanted to come and hang out the whole time, which was fine. The guys just had this thing about not sharing our drink with him, you know, because it’d be a waste because he’d just end up getting sick and having to get his mother to come and pick him up from the party. So we started pouring him drinks out of a vodka bottle filled with water, and he never noticed.”

“That’s not bad” Evie says charitably, “That’s actually responsible in my opinion, and I honestly wish that Kelly would fall for that kind of trick, but she can sniff out alcohol like a bloodhound.”

“Nah, like the bad part is how much he really didn’t notice it. It was like a crazy placebo effect or something, and he’d still stumble around like he was drunk. We thought it was hilarious. And then one time when we were fifteen Joe got weed from this guy in town and everyone wanted some, but like, Liam was there and we knew it’d be a bad idea to give him some.”

“So what did you do?”

“The classic - I got some herbs from the kitchen cabinet and rolled them up for him, and then guess what?”

“He didn’t notice?”

“Right! He didn’t even notice. He smoked our little fake joint and then-” God, why am I laughing? Shouldn't this story have stopped being funny? “-and then after an hour he was rolling around on the rug saying that he could taste colours and that like, the fibres of the rug felt so soft. We had to get his mother to collect him again.” It’s my turn to let out an obnoxious, echoing cackle, and once again, everyone in the room looks at us.

“You’re a mean boy,” Evie chides, but she doesn’t look like she means it. She looks like she likes it.

“I know. I’m a bastard.” 

I get to my feet. “We should go and see the rest of the exhibits. I don’t want to leave Jen down in the gift shop all day, she’ll be bored.”

Evie’s smile wavers, but she nods, “Okay. Sorry... I didn’t mean to hold you up.”

“You didn’t, I just thought you’d be rearing to see the rest of the art.”

“Yeah,” she says, then hesitating, “it’s a bit unusual, isn’t it?”

I chuckle, “To be honest I’m not sure I like it.”

“Oh, thank God you said that. I hate it too, I didn’t think I was allowed to say it.”

We giggle and I swerve straight for the exit. “C'mon then, let's do something else.”

Beginning // Prev // Next

Corresponding LG Chapter

[bug-bites]

west side apartment, paper plane

tw: brief non-graphic mentions of ghost going thru war stuff and ghost's backstory in the comics (changed a few details because this is fanfic. duh), slight angst (bc yk,, yearning) but sort of fluff if ghost had a dollar for every moment he spent yearning he would have enough money to retire and live a happy life away from the military, also we're pretending british chinese takeout is good, not proofread :P

pairing: simon "ghost" riley x gn!reader (like always can be read as platonic or romantic)

characters: simon "ghost" riley

a/n: i hate how fucking massive the song link is but yk what its fine. but i am back and in a laufey moment!

simon has lived an interesting life, maybe he wouldn’t use interesting. if he could describe it he would probably use words like terrifying, cruel, or for a lack of better terms, shitty. from the moment he was born it seemed like misery and tragedy followed him around like a stray dog, finding its way into every aspect of his existence. his childhood home was always something he wanted to escape, or rather his father was what he wanted to run away from. there were good moments after he kicked the old bastard out, but the ever present threat of tragedy proved that it wouldn’t last. life had been cruel, dealing him possibly the worst hand possible, the only constant being misfortune, that is until you came along.

a temporary living arrangement. thats all it was. rent was a little too much for one person to afford, so you both signed the lease on a crummy, small, mixed-use apartment right in the middle of manchester. it wasn’t much, takeout dinners from the restaurant below and late rent payments were the norm but even with the busted heating, life in that apartment had never felt so warm.

after long shifts at your respective jobs he would come home, plastic bags of takeout in his hands, a sign for you to set a few blankets on the ground before both of you eat ungodly amounts of shrimp fried rice and orange sesame chicken. he could spend hours listening to you speak, nothing made him feel so at home. maybe it was the fact that the food was good and also inexpensive, or maybe it was because he was too exhausted to do anything else, but he loved those long sleepless nights spent sitting on the floor, talking about everything and nothing. simon cant imagine another time in his life when he was genuinely so happy or another time he laughed so hard water came out his nose.

he especially loved opening fortune cookies with you at the end of every meal. sure, he never believed in those fortunes but the idea was always fun to entertain. the sound of the cookie cracking open to expose the slip of paper, revealing what the future had in store for him usually filled him with a childlike curiosity. or at least got a laugh out of him.

“hah, mine says ‘there will be a happy romance for you shortly’. these things really could not be farther from the truth. bet yours is more accurate” you say, popping half of the broken cookie into your mouth “your father loves you and is always with you. remember that.” he reads out loud with a chuckle “oh. that- hm. yeah i take that back”

but the one thing he loved more than opening those silly fortunes with you or the late night dinners was after you both cleaned up the empty takeout boxes, taking the menus and folding them into paper planes. it became a sort of tradition after you got bored and began to mess around with the glossy paper that listed mouthwatering dishes and house specials. he could never get it right, one wing was always too big or his folds were clumsily made and uneven, making them practically incapable of flight but yours were the complete opposite. each crease made was perfect, every intricate pleat skillfully crafted to allow the small paper aircraft to glide through the air with ease. as you tossed your planes off the balcony of your shared flat, the sight of the plane sailing through the air as the sun set always filled the both of you with a sense of nostalgia. and of course you both picked them up and tossed them out because we dont mess w/ littering over here

simon cant help but look back at those simpler times and miss them. he knows from the start it was intended to be temporary, but he’s been through so much chaos and trauma all he just wants a quiet life where he doesnt have to be ghost. he just wants a nice warm home to come back to. it doesnt have to be big, it doesnt have to be expensive, it just has to feel like home. it just has to feel like you. its been so long since the two of you parted ways but as he stares at the last paper airplane that he kept, he cant help but wonder if you feel that way too. as he lies awake in his bed at the military base he’s stationed in, he spends those nights craving that domesticity he had with you. he recalls every memory, every minute detail that made him love that cramped apartment and maybe how he loved you even more.

[ghostchems]

Sweet 16. having your actions controlled by a shadow figure that's moving right outside your room

May I request a trip to spicy town with either Terzo or Dracopia? Your pick!

the phantom touch - papa emeritus iii x f!reader/cardinal copia x f!reader

this takes place after upiór (ao3 linky). i have wanted to return to this world so badly and this prompt absolutely kicked off the inspiration. 2k words of FILTH. FILTH. 18+! mdni! highly recommend reading upiór first :) ao3 link for this one!

Cardinal Copia has been gone on clergy business for the last week, leaving you alone in the abbey for the first time since you had been moved into his quarter. Except you aren’t really alone. There is a ghoul posted outside of your door, rotating every few hours to ensure that someone is always there, watching you. When you leave, they follow you and even after pleading with them that you just want time alone they tell you they are under strict orders to keep you safe. Copia is convinced that you are always in danger, especially when he is away.

But hasn’t the danger been dealt with already? Terzo is gone;  Copia banished him back to hell after he had turned on her (no thanks to the Cardinal laying out why it had been her fault all along, even if it was a lie). Nothing stands between him and the power he so desperately craves anymore but you still feel like a prisoner to him. Meanwhile, Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil are having him be their little errand boy but he is too under their thumb to see that they are merely using him. You keep your mouth shut, though, because most of this is only from what you’ve observed. It’s not like Copia has opened up to you about this, anyway. You feel like a pretty, little trophy of his. A reminder that he gets what he wants, no matter the cost.

It’s late and you’re snuggled up in bed beneath the softest, most luxurious covers you’ve ever felt. Being Copia’s pet has its perks, not that you would ever admit that to anyone. And even with him gone and with you having the bed all to yourself… some sick part of yourself misses him. Your mind starts to wander away from him, the yearning for the time before overtaking the perks of the now. You miss Terzo, even after everything. You hope that he’s found peace in hell, that he’s finally at rest with his brothers. You think about him so often, no matter how much you try to push him from your mind. 

Loving him was easy. The two of you got along and you had the most fun with him out of anyone you’ve ever dated. There seemed to be no consequences at the time and you were just enjoying him and his company. You feel you saw the real him more than anybody else — he was a goof but his emotions ran deep. 

You find yourself starting to doze off as you think of him and his delicate touch you feel a sudden gust of wind from nowhere. The room is lit up, no windows are open and the air is turned off. Your mind buzzes, almost as if someone is poking around it, and you sit up in bed to cast your gaze around the empty room. There’s nothing there but you feel it, something pulsing inside you.

And then you hear it.

I am here to ask for forgiveness, amore. 

The voice is unmistakably his. Even in death, Terzo knows how to find you. 

I am here to ask you for forgiveness and to give you a gift.

He starts to somehow take control of you and guides your hand over your body, groping and pinching your breasts through your black satin pajama top. You have no idea how he’s doing it but you know that it’s him. Terzo’s thoughts mix with yours — you see visions of Hell, visions of torture, but also visions of Primo, Secondo and him taking their rightful place. You’re distracted by these images while your hands work deftly to unbutton your top and then cup and knead your tender breasts. You give a soft groan, the touch undeniably his even though he is using your hands.

A gift for il amore mio.

Your breath starts to quicken as arousal spreads through you, your fingers rubbing at the peaked flesh of your nipples.Heat pools between your legs and you give a soft groan as you pinch at your nipple. One hand slips slowly down your stomach and pushes at your pajama bottoms and underwear. You feel insane… but stranger things have happened. You choose to lean into it, to believe it’s him and that he’s here possessing you to give you this gift. It feels like closure to you.

You wiggle out of your pajama pants and underwear, your palm pressing against your already swollen clit. His name falls from your lips in a needy moan. 

That’s it, amore.

Your other hand moves from your breast down to your dripping cunt, circling your lips tantalizingly slow. You lean your head back against your pillow, lips parted and eyes shut as one of your fingers slips inside. Words of encouragement fill your mind, loving words and sweet coos, and you find yourself getting lost in the feeling. You curl your finger inside of you just right, just as he would, finding that spot deep inside you that makes you tremble. You feel so free, more free than you have in months, and its building inside of you. He hasn’t even touched you for long and you’re already hurtling towards release — because it’s him. 

You’re so close; it’s dangling right in front of you, ready for you to dive for it when — 

“What have we here?”

You freeze, eyes darting to the voice, immediately feeling Terzo’s presence slip away. Copia leans in the doorway to their bedroom, in his usual black tailcoat, and crosses his arms. His lips curl into a slimy smirk as his eyes wander your body. You don’t even know how to react, still hazy from how you had touched yourself, eyes wide as your gaze meets Copia’s. You slowly slip your fingers out from inside of you, all too aware of the sound it makes. Your heart thunders in your chest, already so wound up from your release being cut off. 

“You couldn’t wait until I got home, yes? So needy for your Cardinal, aren’t you?” Copia slinks closer to you, his words going straight to your slick cunt. He’s always had this way about him, ever since he moved you into his quarters. You hate the way it makes you want him. The feeling of betrayal lingers in the back of your mind each time but that doesn’t stop you, it never does. “Give me your hand, amore.” He purrs, reaching out for it. You know exactly what he wants. You lift your hand, fingers still slick from touching yourself.

Copia grabs your hand by the wrist and brings your fingers to his lips, slipping them inside his mouth with a groan. His tongue swirls around your fingers, licking and sucking the slick off of them as his eyes squeeze shut from your delicious taste. Your lips part in a soft gasp, your cheeks flushing and the ache between your legs burning more than before. He pulls your fingers from his lips, still gripping your wrist tightly and presses a tender kiss to your palm. This is your reality: Terzo is gone and Copia is all that you have.

He lets your hand go and leans in, his nose just brushing against yours as you feel his hot breath on your lips. You can’t help it — your fingers card through his hair and pull him down to you, your mouth crashing against his. Copia hums into the kiss, his tongue pushing inside and you can taste yourself on it. He gets onto the bed, hands pushing apart your legs so that he can settle between them and he starts to slowly grind himself against, his cock already throbbing through his tight black pants. You groan into his mouth, your own hips jerking to meet his, desperate for some kind of friction.

“Fuck, amore.” Copia huffs as he pulls away from the kiss only to press his forehead against yours. He reaches down to work at his pants, tugging at the zipper while you take it upon yourself to unbutton his tailcoat. You’re almost frantic as you undo each button before pushing it over his shoulders just as Copia gets his cock free. He feels how urgent you are, how much you need him so he positions himself at your entrance, the head of his cock applying pressure to it and giving you a smug grin. “How badly do you need me, my sweet?” 

“Copia.” You whine and run your fingers up his chest, nails scratching lightly at his chest hair. You try to move, squirming below him for any kind of friction but he holds you in place and keeps his cock pressed almost into you. “P-please, I need you. I… I’ve been fantasizing about this ever since you left.” A lie. A little white lie but you see how Copia’s face lights up, encouraged by your response. He pushes in slowly, his eyes focused on your reaction as his own breath catches in his throat from how you stretch around him. A deep, shameless moan tumbles from your lips, your arms curling around his shoulders while he fills you.

His thrusts are slow and sensual, truly taking his time with enjoying your body. His lips trail along your neck and collarbone while his free hand strokes and pinches at your sensitive skin, roaming your body. You melt into his touch, your body moving along with his, pleasure and relief washing over you. Copia groans into your neck as his hands reach your ass, squeezing it harshly while his thrusts grow more needy. You arch your back which allows him to drive himself even deeper into you, massaging along all of your sensitive spots. He slips one of his hands up your neck to the back of your head, fingers knotting in your hair and giving your head a sharp tug just as his hips piston into you at a reckless pace.

You scream out, your nails clawing across his back, legs trembling. His breath is hot on your ear, mixed with growls that rumble against you while he maintains this new, unrelenting tempo. Your walls start to spasm and contract around him, feeling your release building at an intense rate. Copia lifts his head, eyes half-lidded and lips smeared with black paint and you catch his mismatched gaze. He looks hungry, starving for you, a low snarl ripping from his lips before he kisses you again. You sigh against his lips, eyes squeezing shut as your body writhes beneath him. Copia is devouring you, his tongue tasting every inch of your mouth as he keeps a tight grip on your hair. 

“I’m -ah- close!” You choke into his mouth, your body trembling and your hold on him tightening. He groans in response, his lips hovering just above yours and he snaps his hips even harder into you. A whine leaves your lips, your legs trembling around him, your nails scratching along his back again. You start to come undone as your muscles tense and shockwaves grip your body. Copia fucks you through it, his hips stuttering as his own orgasm builds. It washes over you, a sob falling from your lips as your vision blurs and you cling to him, unable to think about anything other than how good he makes you feel. 

He comes inside you, filling you with his seed to assert his possession of you. You know deep down that’s why he does it but something about it turns you on. Copia hovers over you, panting lightly as he brushes the hair from your face. Your eyes meet and he offers a sweet smile before slipping off of you and pulling you into his embrace. Silence falls between the two of you. Your gaze flickers up to his face and finds his eyes closed, a content look on his face. Coherent thoughts start to creep into your brain and you find yourself staring off into space.

You feel that Terzo is gone, perhaps for good this time. When your eyes focus on Copia again, his eyes are open and he is looking at you almost lovingly. He leans in and presses a tender kiss to your forehead.

“I missed you too, amore.”

[dreamiehan]

Yiji’s Relationship with Stray Kids

stray kids addition au: yiji

→ VOCAL RACHA + 2/3 DANCE RACHA (VER.)

[ yi-an jihae masterlist] 🎧

𝙃𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙮𝙪𝙣𝙟𝙞𝙣

contact name 💬 hyunnie bun ( ◠‿◠ )

⠀↳ the two moons whose gravitational pull towards one another is too strong.. these two share a bond that even the gods envy, yet when they clash the emotions are destructive and lingering.

ʚĭɞ is it envy yiji feels towards hyunjin? or is she simply so adorned by his presence that it suffocates her insecurity? she feels conflicted and often guilty about her inner turmoil towards hyunjin but she truly would do anything for him.

ʚĭɞ unironically, as both hyunjin and yiji are members of the main dance unit, these two complement each others artistry really well. fans describe it as a “performers chemistry” when the two are together on any stage.

ʚĭɞ yiji has always been quite curious of hyunjin’s art hobbies and kinda follows him around the dorms like a lost puppy when he is painting. hyunjin thinks it’s really cute (which he will never admit becuase he know yiji will simply cease cause its cringey)  as it is her way of spending quality time with him.

ʚĭɞ despite their awkward nature, yiji and hyunjin have a lot in common. yiji has always been better with writing her feelings and sometime’s shares her poetry with him, in exchange he attempts to write little poems to share with her about his art.

ʚĭɞ the two of them have this unspoken thing will hyunjin will say he’s going out, usually to a cafe, sometimes an art event, or just on a walk for something he needs and yiji always tags along. he never asks her directly but she’s always there.

ʚĭɞ hyunjin feels deeply when it comes to yiji, meanwhile yiji tries hard to not to feel anything at all.. it’s an unrequited lovers trope; two people yearn deeply for one another yet they were continuously separated in their past lives.

fun fact 💭

it was hyunjin who actually came up with yiji’s producer name HAESUN. truthfully, he thought he was being funny/annoying by calling her sunsun but she secretly adored it. that’s why her producer ephtiet is very dear to her heart.

𝙇𝙚𝙚 𝙁𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙭

contact name 💬 smiley╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

⠀↳ everybody point and sob at the golden duo. “being with felix is like remembering how to breathe again.. you’re so happy that your stomach hurts from laughing”.

ʚĭɞ golden duo, also competitive gaming duo??? literally every decision between yiji and felix is settled with a quick, best of three versus in super smash brothers. who’s cleaning the dishes? 1v1. going back to the store to grab something one of them forgot? 1v1. chicken or steak for dinner? 1v1.

ʚĭɞ yiji likes to think she was naturally drawn to felix’s radiant aura back when the two were just trainee’s. she always felt like she could let down her walls, even for just a second.. he always made her feel safe enough to be herself and that intimacy has never faded.

ʚĭɞ somehow felix is the only one who can manage to get yiji to leave her room when she needs “enrichment in her enclosure time” aka, she has a genshin impact gambling addiction 😭 if there are no schedules, home girl could be couped up in her bed for hours, grinding quests, playing the events, and pulling on the banner.

ʚĭɞ and just when you thought jisung and yiji were loud, felix and yiji are on an entirely different level.. and so toxic HELP???. due to the amount of late night yelling and swears chan has them living apart in the new dorm arrangement specifically for this reason.

ʚĭɞ yiji was never a foodie until she met felix, honestly if it was up to her.. she is content eating the same meal multiple times a week but not on LEE FELIX’S WATCH. he loves dragging her to cafes and bakeries of all kinds, all those aesthetic pictures of felix drinking? yeah, yiji took those.

ʚĭɞ since the release of skz player, yiji has been desperate to co-produce a song with felix. she absolutely loves his voice.

fun fact 💭

when all of the kids and yiji to live in the same dorm, the two of them would often wander into the living room at night to play mario kart and one time the yelling got so out of hand they got a noise complaint 💀

𝙆𝙞𝙢 𝙎𝙚𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙢𝙞𝙣

contact name 💬 my prince (//∇//)♡

⠀↳ this girl is 101% whipped for kim seungmin and he doesn’t understand why. “kim seungmin, cuddle me right now”. “ah.. you are stressing me out already.. *gets up and cuddles her anyway*”. yiji loves him so much but unbeknownst to her, seungmin wishes he could always do more to show he cares.. he just struggles at navigating their relationship.

ʚĭɞ when these two first met, their relationship only existed out of forced proximity. it’s not that they necessarily disliked one another but rather neither of them felt inclined to get to know each other beyond schedules.

ʚĭɞ mhmm, kim “i know something is troubling you but i don’t know how to ask you about it” seungmin!! this boy buys yiji flowers constantly and it is the cutest darn thing (it’s like a little peace offering) sometimes he will even pretend like he has no idea who sent them but as soon as they’re alone he always apologizes saying, “i didn’t know which ones were in season so i just bought you all different types” :D

ʚĭɞ no one took seungmin getting his braces off as personally as yiji did, she was absolutely devastated. seungmin was like ??? honestly, in her eyes he just looked a lot more adult, like he was growing up too fast but these days yiji always reminds seungmin how much she loves his smile and he gets all shy about it hehe.

ʚĭɞ hyunminji are the unsuspecting trio of skz! from the outside, it doesn’t seem like yiji, hyunjin, and seungmin would spend as much time together but on their off days seungmin will the two in their dorms and the three of them will binge dramas and order take out. it’s really cute to kinda see them sprawled out on the sofa with open boxes of chicken and jjigae on the table.

ʚĭɞ yiji just has a heart full of love and adoration towards seungmin, he has no idea. despite their differences in age, yiji looks up to seungmin greatly and finds peace in their quality time. yiji finds that being emotionally vulnerable is alot easier when expressing her concerns to seungmin!

fun fact 💭

seungmin loves to pretend fight with yiji and it’s honestly the weirdest funniest thing ever.. he wouldn’t be caught dead showing her outright affection but instead just puts his fists up and starts throwing punches that don’t actually land?? sometimes though yiji is like 10/10 not in the mood for his antics and she will actually square up 💀

𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙅𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣

contact name 💬 lil innie ✌︎('ω'✌︎ )

⠀↳ if innie is stays fashionista boyfriend, then yiji is stays fashionista gf ♡ these two love taking ootds of each other

ʚĭɞ from the outside it may look like jeongin and yiji aren’t close but that is false! these two have such a wonderful bond, yiji just doesn’t baby him as much as the other members hehe

ʚĭɞ when it comes to jeongin, yiji cannot conceal her emotions.. she’s always just so proud of him and when he is extra hard on himself she will scold him!

ʚĭɞ these two are so sassy when they’re together, even chan doesn’t stand a chance (☝︎ ՞ਊ ՞)☝︎ and they are always laughing about something! it will be completely silent, they’ll give each other one look and start cackling

ʚĭɞ they are always on some b.s, unserious duo; for example, it could be 8 a.m and these two will be watching a horror movie, screaming like nobody’s business 😭 it is like they are in their own little world when they’re together

ʚĭɞ when they were trainees, jeongin was a bit intimidated by her (yiji has an insanely vicious resting bitch face) but now jeongin knows she is probably just daydreaming LMAO

fun fact 💭

jeongin is yiji’s croissant dealer?? like actually the plug for every carb she could ever dream of. when their schedules are packed (especially during comeback seasons) jeongin brings a little box of croissants with him in his bag 🥹

[fallout-ocs]

FLOVER BOOK HC's

I think magne would be really into theology, he takes some classes about it. he has a lot of books about religion and spirituality. most likely bought an upanishad deluxe copy worth hundreds of dollars. has a fully illustrated one of a kind, golden edges bible and all that . i think one of magne's favorite modern novels would be 'The Road' by Tomac McCarthy— totally not cause of his daddy issues but hey! Also he likes post apocalyptic premises so. Other than that, maybe the alchemist and the giver. Also he dislikes autobiographies for some odd reason, dont asky why okay.

As for classics, he's probably very into the philosophical genre. Ethics, Thus Spoke Zarathustra etc. etc. I like to think that he's a picky reader, if he doesn't like it, he won't force himself to actually read through the whole thing, he's not that patient. He annonates in an interesting way, it's not super organized like how zachariah does it but it's really intimate(?) he puts his whole thoughts into it, i think— magne isn't the type to talk about his own feelings, but he feels a lot. sometimes he feels so much that it suffocates him, that's why his annonations are so long that he has to stick multiple sticky notes into one book just to fit all of the words.

zachariah...is very into romance novels. which he hides very well, but yeah he's a romantic at heart. he dreams of dancing in the rain with the love of his life, he thinks of short yet sweet kisses under an autumn tree, hands entwined and all that sappy stuff. His favorite author is jane austen, and he's just smitten by her works. this guy REALLY hates sad endings though, he'll actually shed a tear DONT TRY HIM...his favorite novel isn't by jane austen though, its 'Flowers From The Storm' by laura kinsale.

He has a very deep hate towards dark romance stories, he's tried reading them but was so disgusted that he genuinely burned the book. He's a romanticist, he likes sweet things, yearning!! Not...that!!

Also yeah he's into crime thrillers, he has read a lot!! Likes the sherlock series, he has the whole set. Favorite classic is probably the great gatsby...he thinks its romantic in its own way despite the tragedy.

.....fun fact, he probably has the best annonating system in the whole campus. it's literally so aesthetic looking, his writing is top notch too, its insane.

miriam!! Ahhhhh!! Unlike zachariah, miriam detests the romance genre. she loves political satire and horror, which no ones really surprised about. She's probably read nearly all the popular politically controversial books, you name it- she's read and judged it. Her personal favorite is 'Catcher In The Rye' by J.D Salinger, she's made multiple analysis about it in her highschool years. Prefers reading short novels compared to longer ones though.

Is actually part of a bookclub downtown the small library northeast of the university, it's full of old grandmas from the nearby retirement home but she isn't really complaining. She yaps to these poor women about the inevitable fall of the USSR and the downsides of capitalist societies without even stuttering, the poor grandmas just trying to share their thoughts about harry potter novels just sitting waiting for her to finish her 2 hour rant, luckily for miriam, these old women have all the time in the world (in some way.)

This crazy woman...does not annonate books. She dogears the pages and calls it a day, she doesn't even use actual bookmarks, she uses any piece of paper lying around, could be her bus ticket or a random playing card. She...also folds the damn pages like a maniac if she doesnt feel like looking around for any bookmark, this leads ro random lines in some of the pages.

Marcella...does not read much honestly. The one book shes actually read from start to finish is to kill a mocking bird, not because she liked the book, no- its cause it was required back then in 7th grade to read the whole thing.

Vincella is a an avid reader, he's genuinely the most bookish out of everyone which is genuinely so shocking. I know cause im also shocked!!

He owns a kindle dude, what could be more bookish than that. He has over 400 rated books on goodreads, and thats not even everything hes read. He's the typa guy that no matter how shitty he thinks the writing is, he WILL read it through the end, it does not matter if the plot doesn't make no sense it's gonna be read okay. He doesn't have a favorite genre, he loves everyrhing and anything but he does have a favorite book: 'Flowers of Argenon' by daniel keyes and 'Neverwhere' by neil gaiman. He likes anything by neil gaiman LMAO.

This guy is so fast at reading, it's almost inhuman, and he comprehends them just as much as one would while reading slowly. Despite common knowledge, he doesn't listen to music whenever he puts earphones on, it's actually audiobooks 80% of the time, that's how geeked he is about books. And yeah, he's part of booktok LMAO, he has over 200k followers on his book tikkytok.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, this guy does not annonate or bookmark his books, he just somehow always remembers what page he's on and can even remember specific pages with horrifyingly accurate details. Also he takes really good care of his books, his mini library has its own dehumidifier!!

Fastest Reader —

Vincella & Marcella

Miriam

Magne

Zachariah

Yeah marcella reads super fast and comprehends it, she just genuinely doesnt like reading LMAO 😭😭, zachariah reads REALLYYYY fucking slow, you dont understand, it's ljke a first grader reading the hungry caterpillar for the first time, he could read faster but he has a hard time comprehending and savoring the story that way. magne reads normally, miriam is faster than normal but not to the inhuman point of marcella and vincella.

Most Read (unfinished) —

Vincella

Miriam

Charlemagne

Zachariah

Marcella

Unfinished reads, this means that it's all books they've finished + unfinished/dropped books. I put vincella at top because even though he ALWAYS finsihes whatever hes reading, he still has read more than miriam charlemagne has.

Most Read (finished books only) —

Vincella

Charlemagne

Miriam

Zachariah

Marcella

Yup. Yup. Yup.

[citrusbuds]

lem, i needa hear all about your sipersona.

give me all the details, i am sat at the table waiting to hear everything!!

oh dear anon put a bib on i am about to SERVE UP!!!!

ok but fr i have sooo much info about my sipersona idk where to start...

i guess fun clem facts first? hit all the spiderman notes. Clem's defining thing as a spiderman is his ocean-beach theme. bro yearns for the sea (me too and i can walk to it) this all would start in id say... senior year highschool? so they'd all be 17 going 18, before college.

Moving to NY he becomes close friends with his science teacher Dr. Robert Octavius (more on him later) Clem is very smart, thats why he got picked as an exchange student, but he's very shy. while Peter more of a dorky loner who takes photos, Clem tries his best to not talk to people (which is very difficult when Gwen Stacy befriends him and drags him everywhere)

tbh i might change his spider bite origin to maybe an after school meeting with Dr. Robert in a lab. Showcasing some projects his team is working on, including some spider related research. maybe on the web production, an insect focused research to strengthen our modern day materials BUT IM GETTING NERDY ahem

i thought itd be fun to have his spider bite also affect his physical body, mainly his hair going white. like... all of it. he was already bleaching it beforehand so it wasnt the biggest deal, he just has to dye it blond instead. He also has his eyesight improved, but he chooses to keep wearing glasses to "not be suspicious" or smtn

weird note, but clem would produce his own web. it freaks him out and shuts himself in his room for a good few days trying to understand it. fun stuff

becoming spiderman, he starts doing all the masked vigilante stuff out of

Clem becomes very close to Dr. Robert and his wife, almost becoming like.... their son (???) yk middle aged married couple w no kids are VERY fond of smart and charming teenagers. He gets invited to dinners, science conventions, all the stuff.

a big thing with spiderman, especially since the spiderverse films, is the concept of the "canon event". specific points in a spiderperson's life that are inevitable. a person close to them dying and learning a valuable life lesson, the chief of police sacrificing himself, etc etc.

that being said!!!! what is clem's canon event? weeeellllll i really wanna make tide weaver's whole story into a comic, maybe start with small comics first. but cause its fun i'll tell it here.

Dr. Robert, as well as his wife, Dr. Olivia gets invited to a big science exhibition. many great minds hoping and working hard to make the world's future a better place, even OSCORP's founder is there (wow!) and with this invite, they were given the chance to invite 1 person. so of course, who are else are they gonna give it to if not Clem!!

the evening of the event rolls around and is on his way. he tends to take an hour or 2 at night to sweep through the city, see if theres any crime and all that. but he couldn't be bothered that night. even when he saw some shady people, even when he could sense something wrong nearby, even when police cars whizz past him to chase some escaping vehicle, he couldn't be late, Dr. Robert was waiting outside the building for him!

i didn't think itd make sense for clem's first canon event to be unlce ben. he wasn't his uncle, he was peter's. didn't wanna kill peter either or their entire relationship wouldve ended right there. so i decided who else fits the role than his very own teacher!!! yk the guy that treated him as a son in such a new environment.

this'd be the part of the comic where the first villain is introduced. so of course i picked doc ock cause i love doc ock and especially doc ock WOMAN amazing revolutionary 10/10 she'll mourn her dead husband so much.

will probably make another post all about the other characters (aunt may, uncle ben, peter's relationship w clem, peter's relationship with tide weaver which are 2 very diff things, gwen and MJ and harry) yell at me in my inbox anytime <3

[wonsheep]

TIME: 3:26 AM

TITLE: into you

series masterlist

featuring | park jongseong (jay)

warnings | alcohol consumption, reader was tipsy before kissing, but sobers up, lmk if i should add anything!

genre | fluff

word count | 762 words

a/n | i'm in love with jay, also this is not proof-read, i'm sorry

------------------

The muffled sounds of music blaring from the club accompany you and Jay on the dimly lit streets. You only started enjoying yourself in there, moving your body to the rhythm between the sweaty bodies of the club attendees around you.

But at this moment, you are standing outside with this young man known as your closest friend, your ears are ringing a little and you feel a little light-headed. Jay holds onto your arms so as to steady your slightly wobbly form and you whine.

“The party only begun like,” You flick your head to the side to get some hair out of your face. “This second.”

“No, it ended just now.” Jay sighs, used to this. “You’ve already had too much.”

“I’m not even drunk.” You whine, tugging Jay with you towards the source of deep bass thumping. “C’mon, Jay, you’re no fun.”

“I’m really just trying to keep you safe here.” Jay’s grasp on you stays firm, but gentle. The skin is warm on your arms where this fingers are holding onto you.

“If you’re so worried, why did you agree to coming here in the first place…”

Jay pretends to think for a second, but he knows the answer already.

He wasn’t able to resist your pleading. He never was, not even at the start of your friendship, but as he started feeling closer to you, then attracted, your effect on him only grew tenfold.

Obviously, Jay did not plan on falling for you – someone he felt might be unattainable and his complete opposite in personality, but alas, no one had the ability to choose who their heart yearns for.

So he is stuck in the friendzone, a place where he put himself in the first place. He tries to pass it off as him being a protective friend, but really, it’s obvious to all his friends that he has feelings for you.

“Mmh. I know now.” A lopsided smile makes its way onto your face as you finally straighten up from your hunched-over position.

You lean dangerously close to Jay’s parted lips and you whisper.

“You’re into me.”

A moment of silence passes. Jay’s breath is caught in his throat. He feels as if the world has stopped around him, leaving him and you in this very place in time forever. The noises from the club, the chatter of a few people walking by, the howling of a dog from afar, everything seems to be muted.

Jay looks at you, really looks. Your eyes are sparkling at him, the dim, warm tones of the streetlamps around illuminate your face and he thinks he’s wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.

You start laughing a second after, moving away from his face, as if you’ve just told the best joke of year or the century, even.

“’M just kidding.” You sigh, almost as if you’re disappointed by his lack of response. “I know you don’t like me like that.”

“And who told you that?” Jay finds his voice again, moving his hands so that he’s holding onto your wrists now, softer than before.

“Huh? I thought- I know you see me as a friend.”

“How are you so sure?” It’s Jay’s turn to crowd into your space now, leaning closer, meeting your confused gaze with determined eyes.

You don’t have a reply to that.

If you hadn’t sobered up until now, Jay’s warm palm sliding up your arm and only stopping to rest on your cheek would have removed any effect the alcohol had on you.

Jay darts his eyes around your face, searching for a sign that you wanted him to stop and move as far away from you as possible, but he only finds an amused glint to your stare.

Still, you’re the one who makes the final move to close the space between your bodies. You press your chest to Jay’s and your lips to his plump ones. Your hands find their way to the nape of his neck, caressing the hair growing there.

The kiss doesn’t last long by any means, but mere minutes feel like hours with Jay pulling you impossibly closer to him, as if he was trying to touch every part of you at once.

You two part after a while, just staring at each other in dazed silence.

“I guess you really are into me.” You smile with adoration.

“As you are into me.” Jay mimics your expression, but doesn’t let you say anything else as he leans in to kiss you again, as long as you’ll let him.

------------------

permanent taglist |

@soobin-chois

[pineappical]

Ted HCs. (Disclaimer: A lot of these are really just observations but let's go.)

Bi king, obviously. His zodiac sign is Cancer, and though I don't believe in astrology, he definitely does. Only sleeps like 6 hours a night. ("Worm addicted early-bird" + "tendency to doze off around 1 am".)

Played basketball in high school. (Chicago Bulls starter jacket!) He also did theatre in high school. Dated a cheerleader. It wasn't until college he started doing football. Him, Beard and Ronnie Fowch briefly had a band. Beard sang and Ted played drums.

He learned to cook and bake to help his mom out after his dad died. Obviously barbecue is his speciality. He absolutely hates guns. He's definitely a functioning alcoholic. (That one's pretty canon, it just varies how severe it is.)

He reads a lot (fiction), but only when he wants to - if it's mandatory or too technical, he's out. He's the kind who when he finds clothes he likes, he buys 5 identical ones in different colours (canon - that one sweater in grey, dark blue, light blue, green, and red).

And a last crack HC: He (semi-secretly) dated Ronnie Fowch in college.

YES TO ALL OF THIS!!!!!!! i LOVEEE the headcanon of ted playing basketball (partly due to jsuds being a basketball player back then too) and its always so fun thinking about how he used to be before college 😊 and with the clothes thing!! its like that Ted Talk he did with his mustache where he got his signature stache and never turned back, same thing with the clothes. he knows he looks good and feels good with sweaters so he stuck to it (despite how much i yearned to see him in more clothing... a printed polo would've obliterated me)

[addcests]

a family is you, and you, and :: ch6 - ao3 mirror

pairing the addcest is there if you believe

words 3565

rating [T]

summary "Hey, Dominator, where's Psyker?" It's an innocent question, at first. And then it rings, rings, rings through Dominator's mind constantly, like an incessant nagging that he doesn't want to quite acknowledge presently. Not yet. So he doesn't. "He's out." It's not a complete lie, anyway. --- If you'd ask each Add what family meant, they'd have similarly different answers. A contradiction in and of itself—a testament to the very conception of their existence. Yet, there lies one thing wholly similar; a conviction all three share: they'd fight for their family. And now they must.

note woo boy that sure was a ride when i said things wouldn't happen ig i kind of lied sorry! LMAO but! at least i made up for this chapter with this whoping 5.4k words! anyway, the first scene was really fun to write... ! <3 i love giving dom hope also can't wait to snatch it from him! <333 and trouble in paradise... if it's not one thing with these adds it's another smh :/ but! all will be well! eventually, maybe, hopefully! thanks for reading <3

Dominator calculated the delusional low possibility but, much like the flawed past he once yearned for, he did not expect the reality of today to actually happen.

“You're… here, welcome back, dear Esper.”

“I missed you.”

Normally, that type of reply might warm Dominator’s cold heart; it might also make him want to tease his younger counterpart. But hearing a tinge of desperation that he hadn't felt since he last saw him—bordering worry, was it?—tugged at the scientist’s heart in a way he could not articulate presently.

So he doesn’t.

What he does instead is offer his weary traveler a smile, gesturing for him to approach with wide, welcoming arms held out towards him. “And I you, it has been…” Sixty-three days, eighteen hours, seven minutes and twenty-two seconds. “... some time now, hasn't it?”

Again, he expects Esper to finally tease him, to poke at him for this or that. He prepares himself for it.

Instead, he finds himself half catching, half holding Esper who flings himself into his arms instead rather suddenly, arms wounding tight around his form. 

Dominator did not expect to wake up to his ex-absent visitor. He didn't expect such a gesture—a hug—from the Diabolic Esper. 

(But not as a lack of or absence of something on Esper’s behalf, rather he attributed it to himself; the same ugly, gut wrenching feeling that left him numb when he allowed himself to feel and accept too much.)

And yet, as he draws Esper closer, his traitorous heart yearns for the touch and the comfort; he welcomes it. “Come now, it hasn't been that long, now has it? Tell me, what have you been up to? Not causing any trouble for my younger self have you?”

That does the trick. “I don't go out of my way looking for trouble,” he grumbles like a petulant child, as if recalling a particularly undesirable, unsavory memory that darkens his expression.

Objectively and subjectively, they both know that to not be true. But as always, prying anything substantial from the time traveler is a challenge in itself, so he leaves him to his cryptic reply. (After all, he's not been particularly forthcoming himself either.)

Whether Esper was doing his own deflecting or was earnestly intrigued, he releases Dominator (which the scientist tries to put it out of his mind, to ignore the ache to snatch him back and not let go) and he steps close to the display holding a pair of familiar mini Dynamo replicas. “Hmm, Mastermind was just creating these before I hopped over here for a visit.”

“Oh?” Distracted himself, Dominator locks his work rather frantically to see what has captured the time hopper’s attention. “Ah, yes, I believe someone called it elementary.”

Elementary is what Esper had called it back then during its creation and with the easy opportunity to throw it back in his face, Dominator waits patiently. He doesn't tease back; he watches Esper because he's intensely focused on the replicas, particularly his own at first. Again, Esper isn’t following the set script preplayed in Dominator’s head. 

“I did quite a splendid job with these, wouldn't you agree?”

Once more, he doesn't answer and now Dominator is beginning to get fidgety himself. Especially when sharp and calculating eyes lock onto Psyker’s replica. A wave of panic catches him, and now he wonders if his younger double had explained in detail what they actually were for… but, knowing himself… 

Very suddenly he understands the interest in this old device and he feels like he’s going to be next on Esper’s mental chopping block. He can already sense the gears turning, filling in some of the blanks. Quite abruptly, Dominator unlocks and then turns off his work, screens going black then fading to complete transparency. 

What he wants to do is snatch the replicas from Esper's prying eyes but that would only make him more curious at best and annoyingly suspicious at worst. And given how he is working meticulously away at his own little plans, Esper discovering the why behind the device, behind everything, is the last thing Dominator needs right now.

So he tries to lead Esper away, by guiding him by the shoulder to a makeshift station turned dining table, amidst many reports and tools, a bowl with some mystery meal Dominator had yet to finish sitting there still. “Well, enough of that silly old thing, can I get you something or would you like a snack before you go? The trip was long and it’s best to restore your energy.”

Esper whirls on Dominator frantically. “I just got here!”

“Well,” Dominator starts, startled at Esper’s rather abrupt outburst, “yes, but knowing me, the whole origins of the replicas and…” Dominator hesitates then shrugs. If he must throw himself, specifically his younger self, under the bus, to ease some of the heat of himself presently then so be it. “I did create them with the express purpose to be alerted if you were nearby or not. In that case then, don't you think you'll worry them by leaving so suddenly? You know how Mastermind is.”

“Then who will worry about you?”

Dominator pauses so hard and so long, he’s unsure of how much time passes. In reality, he knows it to be seconds but for him it drags. The words alone feel as if he’s been struck. Hell, Esper might as well have hit him—at least, that's how it feels. Any words are lodged in his throat and a mental fog makes his thoughts halt. Struggling, he composes himself and starts again as if rebooting, “Well… That is to say—You, of course. But, I will always be here.” Dominator makes a wide gesture, both arms outstretched. “My work and Apocalypse keep me busy enough. You… you just happen to catch me at such a time where I can't… quite entertain.” Dominator tries to put on a winning smile. “Old habits, dear Esper, I'd not want to neglect my favorite, now would I?”

Esper is fixated with the mimi Dynamos. He did not seem to want to budge and more than that he once again did not seem convinced, not partaking in their usual easy back and forth banter at all. Finally, he turns his matching magenta hues onto the older man. The way his eyes peer into his shakes Dominator to his core, like he sees beyond this surface level.

Nervously, Dominator averts his gaze, afraid that might be the case and then smiles syrupy sweet to appease Esper. He reaches to pat his hair, “How's this then? You shall come back soon, and I will be free, then we will go on a little shopping trip together. I am running low on some things.”

Esper seems unconvinced still, but regards Dominator now as if considering his tempting offer.

Dominator sweetens it for him, literally, “We can shop for those cat-shaped milk chocolates from that particular store you like.” Surely he wouldn't be able to resist. He doesn't flinch when Esper narrows his eyes even more. He's no actor by any means, but he hopes his performance comes across as genuine enough.

But it must. Finally, the younger relents, an appeased smile lazing its way onto his lips and he slips closer to Dominator, he reaches up and smooths out the wrinkles in his suit, swipes off imaginary dust as if to tease. He smiles impishly, then counteroffers, “A whole pack of them and we have a deal.”

“Truly, I wonder who spoiled you rotten,” Dominator faux complains as if he weren't talking about himself, his smile sweet with affection as he rubs the top of Esper’s head again, savoring the contact and warmth once more.

And Esper welcomes the touch, stepping into Dominator’s space, grin growing larger for it. “Mmm, Dominator,” Esper calls, voice tinged with sleepiness as his eyes flutter with waves of drowsiness. “Wanted to ask…”

Though Esper fights sleep, Dominator takes note of that persistent tone. There was something more Esper wanted to breach and the scientist could only be so grateful by the sudden sleep spell that grips the other relentlessly. Humming, he regards Esper who goes from merely sleepy to struggling to stand and helps upright him at least. “You are quite drained,” he comments, mostly to himself as if he's detached suddenly, making clinical observations rather than seeking to comfort the other.

“Mmm… was a problem before, I— ” A rather loud yawn completes the tail end of his sentence, any lingering words lost as Esper begins to doze in a matter of seconds.

Dominator watches as the time traveler all but melts into his hold, sleep having claimed him. For a moment, he does nothing except simply regarding Esper as he sleeps. After a few moments and a couple of soft snores, he turns his gaze not to the room on his immediate left that holds the infamous napping spot, leading to his bed but rather he looks farther towards some of his holographic screens that wake from sleep and light up.

“Dynamo,” he calls.

Answering his summons, a few whirl over and make some high pitched beeping sounds, as if confused.

“Yes, we will proceed with the scan once more, I will return shortly for the results.”

Once Esper is bodily scanned, he makes quick strides for the bedroom and gently deposits him. He hurriedly brushes some hair back, takes one look, and, unlike before where he stayed, rushes back the way he came, greeting Dynamo again.

“Initially,” he calls for either Dynamo to come closer so he can read the data fed to him, “it was my horrible habit to hoard info, and I am glad I kept the numbers from the last time I saw him. I thought, perhaps there is no direct side effect… and perhaps, I was making lucky assumptions, but,” and Dominator pauses, opening a file dated for Esper’s last visit and the scan from today, side by side, “his mana levels are significantly lower, maybe even dangerously lower than before…”

He sits at his main workstation, “Originally, I assumed it was his space and time travels, but his mana decrease has direct correlations with,” and he turns his attention to the screen that shows the slightly larger Force Field he still has generating around the house, “this.”

There was no way Dominator could remove the Force Field. Though his unknown assailants never returned, he was now paranoid to leave the estate unguarded. And there was no simple way to explain any of this convoluted mess to Esper. Too many secrets, too much pain, for something that he wasn't even involved in and yet some part of him argued fiercely that, now that he was being affected negatively, he owed him that at least.

It seems as if he gradually recovered over time from the effects, however…

Dominator laughs dryly.

Here he was, doing everything he could to move forward, to cement his perfect present, to protect himself and what was left of their home and yet… he was still causing indirect harm to someone that he cares for deeply, that he finally let in, once more.

Dominator laughs again, a tired, exhausted thing that tapers off into weak little chuckles. The weariness of everything sinks deep to his bones, to his core, and he drops his head to folded arms on his desk.

A screen whirls to his side, displaying a dozing Esper, sound asleep.

With a resigned sigh, he lifts his head from his arms and watches.

“Dynamo, we have our work cut out for us. We must get this Force Field out of its infancy and into its final, perfected form. As it is now, it is inexcusable, weak, and…” His eyes narrow at the sleeping, presumably drained Esper. “Inefficient.”

He will not compromise, his plans must go on. And at the same time, he refuses to let this hurt Esper anymore than it has. He never meant to use Esper in this way, and it makes his skin crawl. But with these notions in mind, perhaps now he can be pushed to perfect this and bend it better to his will and then, maybe even start the early stages for the Zone… Already feeling inspiration, he turns his attention to some scattered files and data he’d nudged aside to some smaller window.

Sitting up now, with a thoughtful hand to his chin, he resists a sigh. “I should try to send you back in better straits,” he comments as if Esper can hear him with his back turned, through the holographic screens, “else he will lose his sanity, I suppose… That is, if he hasn't already torn his hair out over you.”

But when Dominator turns back to the screen, Esper is already gone.

===== → loading … :\\ destination found: 100% =====

This could not be happening, and yet it was, and Mastermind was losing his mind.

“Esper is gone!”

Mastermind should have seen this coming but he didn't. 

Because, really, what hope was there to contain the Diabolic Esper from doing as he pleased?

Finally, Psyker strolls in the kitchen without a sense of urgency that only serves to further aggravate Mastermind. “Wha'?” He asks, confusion plain on his face, an eyebrow arched high as he asks, “what do you mean?”

“He's not here,” Mastermind explains, panic seeping into his voice, not a shred of patience as if he were explaining to a clueless child. 

“Are you sure he didn't just… go out?”

“Well—no—but!” Mastermind huffs, clearly up in arms about this but Psyker looks calm as ever. “Did he say anything before leaving?”

Psyker pauses, not in a suspicious way, but in a way that makes Mastermind want to press. “Nah, he didn't.” Again, he pauses, not as if hiding something but rather because he's pondering something himself and he elects not to share. “He doesn't have to check in with us, ya know. We're not his babysitters. And if he ain't start before, why now?”

What Mastermind wants to do is stomp his foot like a child, turn and scoff because the one time Psyker is being soundly logical about something he doesn't want him to be! “I know that,” he hisses, “but given the past week, I thought… !”

“I said it once and I'll say it again, if Esper had anything to share, he'd do it.”

Now it's Mastermind's turn to pause, regarding the brawler shaking his head at him. “Why do you keep saying that. Unless,” he pauses once more, like he's weighing the invisible options in mind, “you really do know something and you're keeping it from me.”

Psyker looks outright offended and makes an undignified snort in response, a hand on his hip.

“Or you're just as clueless as me.”

“And you call me the idiot,” Psyker sighs, running a hand through those spiky locks of his. “If I knew anything, I wouldn't be sitting on my ass and doing nothing about it and you know it.” There's a beat of silence and then Psyker tacks on, against his better judgment, “Give me some credit, it's like ya don't trust me anymore.”

Mastermind had a whole lot to say until Psyker had said that.

“What? Nothin’ to say for once? That's rich.”

In the face of being direct, Mastermind finds silence the easier option but in the line of fire, of Psyker openly fighting with him, well, that's just not something Mastermind will ever take without retaliation. “What is the issue here? When did I ever say that?”

“You didn't need to say it,” Psyker practically sneers.

Now Mastermind is the one that's offended. A little too charged and heated, he demands, “And what does that mean?”

“I mean, Mastermind,” and Psyker invades the other’s space, visibly angry now, stepping closer and caging him. Psyker forces him back until he has nowhere to go, trapped between him and the kitchen counter, “stop insulting us both. You know better! You know we're in the same boat, on the same team, both worried for Esper, so stop insinuatin’ shit!”

For a moment, neither of them or say anything, the air between them is tense, stiff and heavy from Psyker’s lingering words.

Mastermind, for once, finds himself in a stunned stupor, truly speechless as he is unable to hide the flashes of emotions passing over his face: anger, frustration, hesitation, fear and then finally, pain warped by sadness.

All too quickly, the anger seems to drain from Psyker, and realizing how he’s crowded Mastermind, he relents finally. The emotions of everything makes him recoil back from further Mastermind. He awkwardly takes another step back. He rubs at his nape anxiously as he bows his head, refusing to look at Mastermind. “... I didn't mean t’—”

Mastermind, visibly shaken, lies, “It's fine.”

“Listen, Mastermind, I—”

An insistent beep disrupts Psyker’s thoughts and shakes Mastermind out of his daze.

The scientist fishes the tracking device from his pocket, holding it in his palm to see it light up. “Esper… ?!” And rather than see it, they hear Esper’s portal open outside the kitchen, then a loud thump. 

Without saying anything else to Psyker, he rushes and slams open the back kitchen door and finds the man of the hour, nothing out of place other than looking utterly drained and struggling to take a few shaky steps, nearly toppling over as his Dynamo struggles, flailing about to steady him. 

“Esper!”

Exhausted, Esper only manages a, “Your… lab…” to Mastermind before his lids fall shut, and he all but collapses on his Dynamo.

“Esper!?”

“He's… fine,” Psyker observes, “take him and go.”

Mastermind hesitates. Their fight? Whatever that was is still lingering heavy on his mind. But after seeing Psyker’s insistent stare, he knows now is not the time for that. After all, he supposes, they can fight later, if they must. That thought unsettles him. He tries now to show it since more pressing matters are at hand. He looks at the seemingly okay but exhausted Esper. “O-Okay… will you be joining as well?”

“I'll catch up, go on.”

Mastermind doesn't linger any more than he needs, and with Dynamo’s help, is off with Esper in tow.

As soon as the two are out of sight, Psyker waits a few moments to ensure both are truly gone. He clenches and unfurls his fists. Clenches and unfurls, clenches and unfurls. Then with a wail of frustration, he rapidly punches the wall of the house once, twice, and a third and final time before he relents and yells, a noise of pure raw aggravation. “Damnit!” He lets loose a fury of punches, again and again until he feels his knuckles bruise. When he feels the rush of anger finally leaving his body, he sees the gaping hole about fist-sized he left in their wall.

Great, as if he needed something else to take care of right now. As if he didn't already have a million things on his mind. 

As if he didn't ache for Mastermind. 

As if he didn't feel powerless to help Esper.

He takes a step back, hands on his hips, and he sighs. He pushes all those fears and worries to the backburner; his little repair project will have to wait too. Psyker has something more important to tend to now, after all.

===== → loading … loading … loading … :\\ destination … standby … … … =====

After all the tests are said and done, and Mastermind finally stops hovering over Esper, some hours have passed. Finally, Psyker enters the makeshift room beside the lab where Esper is resting.

“It ain't Mastermind, ‘s just me,” Psyker announces.

Or, well, pretend resting now that Esper knows it’s Psyker and not Mastermind back to nag at him again.

“He's been poking and prodding me all day,” Esper faux whines, clearly fine now.

“Yeah, well, you know what it's gonna take to ease his worries and satisfy him.” Psyker takes a seat at the stool near Esper’s bedside and folds his arms to his chest and sighs. Then, rather solemnly he adds, “He wasn't exactly here last time we ran our own tests, ya know.”

Esper says nothing to that.

But that's not what he's here for, so Psyker decides to cut right to it.

“You know why you're fainting and passing out, don't you?”

Esper especially says nothing to that. His silence is loud.

He doesn’t miss the way Esper’s hand’s clench the sheets between his legs either, his fists shaking and turning his knuckles white. Heaving another sigh, Psyker grumbles out, “I ain't gonna force you. I don't know what you're up to but I guess you're figuring it out and just don't have all the puzzle pieces yet. But don't risk yourself for it, we're here too you know. Just…” Psyker fishes for the words, brows knitted for a second before he sighs out his suggestion, “just clue us in real soon, okay?”

“Psyker…” 

With something of a pout, Psyker reaches over and yanks at his ear, not to hurt but more to annoy than anything. “Ya better keep that promise, gotcha?”

Esper’s fake pained whines turn into pleased ones upon feeling Psyker’s fingers carding softly through his hair, moving to then gently pat his head.

Psyker glows inwardly to see Esper whole, well, and in one piece.

He just hopes that next he sees him that it will remain that way as well.

[littlegayduck]

this is too long an answer to be number 1 man 😔 idk anyone in good omens, ofmd, pjo, marauders and co, the oc, greys anatomy, dps, etc

matches, lighters scare me

no im on the ground floor facing the street id be brutally murdered

someone kind (nature mostly)

blue with a hazel centre (I have central heterochromia)

idk man you tell me. I'm a mystery to all including myself

hair ties (we call them bobbins)

just the 1 i threw some out (I was yelled at to do it but NOT THE POINT I STILL DID IT I WIN)

hot

without hesitation (unless she was ruby cruz... ily ruby give me 1 chance)

baking or reading

crisp autumn day, sun is shining and the leaves looking like their glowing w the reflection of the sun

...next question

I adore it

yes I have many teddies (stuffed animals) and also my human child (my friend toby)

no 😔💔 planning on learning this year or next though AHH

neither but im pretty sure my right eye is near sighted... idk it's too much effort to tell anyone it doesn't bother me that much

not much, sometimes some argon oil, and I got a gisou hair perfume from my aunt bc she was giving it away so I use that when I'm feeling fun

if you wanted to, ofc (i would not file them though the sound makes me want to commit a homocide)

neither (fizzy drinks) but I'd find it less weird if someone around me called it soda than pop

my teddies, my birthday cards. my yearning for something; I don't know what

kind - I try really hard to be kind

i adore it

looking at the sky; stargazing, watching the sunrise or sunset, admiring the birds

perfume (vanilla) unless I'm feeling fancy then both

what could have been (about literally everything)

generally about 7?

(assuming this is like the covid masks) mot really unless I'm visiting an area likely to get people sick (my elderly neighbours houses, doctors or hospitals, nursing homes) or if someone asked me to pur one on - I still have some unworn ones hanging around in different bags etc

lava

i was hoping you wouldnt ask this one and that id be safe after the bottle question.... (4 glasses, 2 bowls, 3 teaspoons and a plate)

any, but hozier generally does the trick if nothing is working

YES ITS GREEN AND LOVELY

I went to a kind of babysitting interview last week? that was scary so I called it an adventure to make it less scary. i need to start going on more fun adventures in nature again

too many to count

idk ireland (Eastern according to Ziggy)

never

laura (she just started college brb gonna go sob), isla (she lives 3 hours away 😔ĺ and aisling (rarely see her)

I don't really like the texture of soap bars (i wish I did they're better for the environment)

constantly

not yet (but theres a granola bar calling my name...)

not very often, but hot and mocha-ish and cinnamony (it's barely coffee but it makes my heart happy)

P I N T E R E S T

i like spicy food but a lot of the time I don't like the actual flavour (too tomato-y etc)

probably trump (since nobody else can apparently)

snippets

SANTA PAWS RAHHHH

"bee theres strange men standign in my driveway and im home alone brb gonna get murdered" sent 11 mins ago (15:50)

idk but young (only a sip, didnt like it)

no 😔

please do

here’s weirder asks

who is/are your comfort character(s)?

lighter or matches?

do you leave the window open at night?

which cryptyd being do you believe in?

what color are your eyes?

why did you do that?

hair-ties or scrunchies?

how many water bottles are in your room right now?

which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee?

would you slaughter the rich?

favorite extracurricular activity?

what kind of day is it?

when was the last time you ate?

do you love the smell of earth after it rains?

are you a parent? (all answers qualify)

can you drive?

are you farsighted or nearsighted?

what hair products do you use?

imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails?

do you say soda or pop?

something you’ve kept since childhood?

what type of person are you?

how do you feel about chilly weather?

if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing?

perfume/body spray or lotion?

a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

about how many hours of sleep did you get?

do you wear a mask?

how do you like your shower water?

is there dishes in your room?

what type of music keeps you grounded?

do you have a favorite towel?

the last adventure you’ve been on?

is there a song you know every word to by heart?

what’s your timezone?

how many times have you changed your url?

someone in your life, other than a relative, you’ve known for 10+ years?

a soap bar that smells good?

do you use lip balm?

did you have any snacks today?

how do you take your coffee?

an app you frequently use besides this godforsaken site?

what’s your take on spicy foods?

you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it?

can you remember what happened yesterday?

favorite holiday film?

what was the last message you sent?

when did you first try an alcohol beverage?

can you skip rocks?

can i tag you in random stuff?

[yourl0cal1ncorporealb3ing]

TW VENT AT SOME PARTS

(ALSO NONE OF THIS PROOF READ SO IT MAY NOT BE LEGIABLE I just wroet this and i already forgot half the stuff i wrote)

y'know the mix of horrid chronic fatigue and insatiable numbness and the dissociation just makes me feel like I missing out on life, I yearn to go outside, to go play, to have fun, just run around but I cant. I sit in my room on tumblr or youtube wasting the day away wishing I did something more productive. I feel like a husk of person I feel like Im in a movie theater alone watching the most boring movie ive ever seen, I feel lonely while also being too socially drained to watch and respond the the video my friend sent me. Not to mention when my parents used to fight, my moms road rage/anger issues, it caused me to fucking terrifed of conflict so sometimes I minimize my needs when around other people and constantly asking about things and if im doing it right but also worrying if im annoying them with all my questions because my grandma has gotton mad at me for that before i think either that or it was me asking why she loved my cousin more than me because she yelled and fought with my dad because i wouldnt give my cousin my fukcing chicken nuggets my dad bought for me like fuck you i mean im sorry grandma

The anxiety and hyperactivity of my ADHD spikes up at night so either i got to sleep and wake up in 13 hours or I can stay up till 4am, go to sleep and wake 13 hours (Just feeling a lot worse). Im literally shaking as I write this and i can tell if im just so fucking restless even if im fucking tired (its 3:38am) or anxiety or the entire kiwi strawberry monster I just drank Its ok im drinking water a lot of it i just need to get my thoughts out of my head because its like a thousond of the dvd bouncing tv screen in my head rn idk if its getting better idk if im gonna post this too maybe idk any ways im shaking oh btw i might have non-diabetic hypoglycemia and i have to get a bunch shots next week and I really hate the doctors it always makes me really scared and uncomfy n shit and idk why damn im shaking a lot. I almost freaked out bc i cant find my charger and my tablet almost died but i have another one ive been using so i just used that but i want to know where my charger went :(

istg ive been eating fucking pasta for the lat 3 weeks and i hate it i hate it i hate it HATE it every. fucking. meal. I cant. I have comfort foods I like and its mostly carby food like pasta so i eat pasta alot but since our oven stopped workin its all i know i can make that easy and i laike it but i secretly dread it so i have been eating a lot of candy to keep my brain happy but im not i should be happy ive been hanging with my frinds and its summr break but im just numb, i always am, yk the year I just finished? yeah for the majority of the i was fighting autopilot mode and disassociation but i was constantly in it i dont think i cant handle going to high school this year i think i might act pass out from exhaustion I barely survived middle school Im not okay i need something meds? idk I should not be this messed up i mean my family is great (yk...apart from the fighting which isnt that common anymore and moms anger issues) but theu love me so whats the problem? school school why is it so unoccomidating to neurodivergents same with ppl with social anxiety like i have had MULTIPLE bad panic attcks in class cause i had to do smthin in front of the class I fukcing hate the school system fuckfukcufkyoiuu school fuck the emercian school system FUCKYOUUUUUUUUU

Im too conflict avoident I cant

the afternoon feels so tiring in a stuffy way if that maks and sense i need to treat my FUCKING adhd already i can have music playing at all times thats not a good long term strategy to shut up my brain i mean ffuck i have music on rn and you can see my insane ramblings

anyyways I kinda think im a daave fiction kin (like DSAF) but im 90% sure im just and otherlinker and I just want to feel speacial or some shit but whos know i have the worst imposter syndrome known to man (I have almost every symptom of Cfs and my friend has asked if i have it but nahhh i defs dont) but also i had a weird experience once. I was like listen (its getting hard to type with the shakiness :0) ing to 2 dave and henry playlists and i kept listening to the henry one and I was in the car and i was falling and out of sleep when i saw like flash of dave but it didnt look like cannon dave he looked different he was mush more blue and he was leaning against a wall with messy longish hair and he had a hat and scars all over him and he had a purple buttoned shit that was fulled buttoned up and the perspective i saw was like a photo someone had taken and he seemed just chilling perhaps talking to jack? idfk but yeah theres my weird experience like the best way i can explain this feeling towards dave is "Idkk if i was you but probably mightve at some point like most likely at some point"

i hope i sound legiable (if i do post this AND someone actually reads this all) it is 4:08am and I feel too many things once i probably will sleep at 5 or 6 anyways byebye

[major-arcanum]

Tradition's End Ch. 2

Late Night Interlude

As fun as it was to encounter a stranger at one's door, Alice felt the need to decompress.

And so, she relaxed, letting the familiar plush of her couch soothe the mild anxiety that lingered in the back of her mind.

Meeting new people was not easy.

Although…

She had to admit that this particular meeting had ended up being a pleasant one. Her new acquaintance struck her as a bit self-conscious, but also sincere, good-natured, and encouraging.

Perhaps a little bit of that positive energy had rubbed off on her during their conversation.

Once the topic of discussion had shifted to her dolls, there was no turning back. She was... a little embarrassed that she'd rambled on about them for so long to a complete stranger, but it was okay.

As it turned out, he seemed to be a rather active listener. He'd shown interest and asked questions.

It… was nice.

…

What exactly was it that she'd felt earlier? It had gone away as soon as Eric was out of sight, but that only left her with more questions.

Why had he supposedly felt it, too? Was it really something as ambiguous as fate? Did she need a second opinion from Patchouli? From Remilia even?

"What does it all mean?" she whispered aloud to no one in particular.

…

After a little while, another feeling made itself apparent. It was a subtle longing, like a piece of her was missing.

Alice sat up straighter on the couch and sighed. Now, this was a feeling she'd experienced before.

She missed Shanghai.

Already? Why must I be like this?

She... found it just a little bit pathetic how quickly she yearned for Shanghai's return. It hadn't even been a full hour yet.

Maybe she should have escorted the human to the Village after all…

…

She needed something to distract herself. Something to occupy her mind.

And so, Alice rose from her seat and made her way into her small kitchen.

It was large enough for one person (or several dolls) to cook comfortably, but it was small enough to fit neatly into her home's floor plan. Attached to the kitchen was a dining room furnished with a square dining table and four wooden chairs.

She had carved the wood herself, opting for a simple style with just a bit of elegance. In her opinion, they were quite tasteful.

...Not that there was anyone else around to argue otherwise.

Atop the dining room table was a wooden platform with a large glass bell jar. Neatly arranged inside the jar were the gifts Eric had given her. Alice lifted the glass cover and took a closer look.

The food consisted of two rolls of bread and 3 slices of some sort of tart. The tart appeared to be one made with multiple kinds of berries.

It all looked… rather appetizing actually. Although Alice did not strictly require food to survive, she found that she still enjoyed the act of eating.

Two dolls brought in a fork and a plate and set them on the table in front of her. .

After thanking them and taking her seat, she opted to try one of the tarts. She cut a small piece off and gave it a small sniff.

It smelled pretty appetizing, too.

She took a bite.

…

It tasted great.

The tart was sweet without being sickly so. The mix of berries lent a pleasant blend of flavors. Its overall quality was definitely on par with what she and her dolls could make.

Alice took a second bite.

Or maybe it was a little better.

Now, Alice was no slouch when it came to cooking. She had been cooking for herself for so long that she considered herself skilled enough to put together delicious meals with little trouble. And with multiple dolls handy, she could even hasten cooking times by doing multiple things at once.

She took another bite.

But this... was outstanding.

It wasn't long until she finished the slice.

Her curiosity indulged, she had two more dolls take care of the dishes she had dirtied, and then she stepped her way back into the living room.

...

It... was getting late.

She had a trip into town the next day to plan for, after all, so Alice decided to retire for the night.

Several dolls went about snuffing out the candles and extinguishing the fireplace. Anything that was out of place was quickly straightened.

Satisfied, Alice drifted into her bedroom.

In a strict sense, she did not need to sleep. Like food, sleep was not required for survival as a magician youkai. However, also like food, it was a very difficult habit to break.

With the help of several dolls, Alice shuffled out of her day wear. Owing to spring's rising temperature, she'd recently swapped over to the short-sleeved version of her outfit.

Then, she slipped into a soft blue nightgown.

She settled into her bed, making sure to take her prescription. 'Butterfly Dream Pill' was printed on the bottle in big, bold letters.

A grateful sigh escaped her lips.

Eientei and their unique medicines...

…

She couldn't help but feel a little pang of loneliness.

If only I knew how Shanghai was doing…

…

Then, a flash of inspiration struck her.

What if I could connect to Shanghai from a distance?

That thought, and the theory behind it, led her to search through her collection of magical artifacts for a very specific object.

After about five minutes, she was back in her bedroom setting it up on her bedside table.

She almost never used this item. Divination and scrying never really clicked with her, so there was little reason for her to have a specific spot for it in her workshop.

It was a crystal ball, perfectly clear and sitting atop a short, black, stone pedestal.

Alice cringed slightly at what she was doing, knowing precisely how cliche it was for a magic wielder to use a crystal ball.

However, it would work perfectly for what she had in mind.

She performed a quick ritual using a modified spell circle and poured her magic into the ball, thinking of her Shanghai doll.

There was the rush of wind, followed by the crackle of static, before a ringing in her ears drowned it all out.

Slowly, a moving image began to take form within the crystal. It started out blurry but soon increased in quality.

As the ringing in her ears subsided, Alice found that she could hear footsteps and the drone of insects.

It was a success!

Alice huddled around her crystal ball. She could now see and hear the world through Shanghai.

"Let's see how you are doing, Shanghai…"

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Eric looked into the distance with longing. He could see the torch lights and lanterns of the Village in the distance, and he was eager to reach them.

It wasn't that he was frightened or anything. Just...

It had been a long day, and he was beyond tired. He was ready to fall onto his bed and rest.

Why… oh why did I choose to walk this far?

At first, it was so the contents of his basket wouldn't be jostled too much.

Tarts were delicate, after all.

Then, for the return trip, he simply didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to himself.

Most youkai were far more active at night.

Still...

I swear, next time I'm flying… Fairies be damned...

...

Eric glanced to the side at his companion again. His travel buddy wasn't much for small talk, though he'd tried to start a conversation a couple times.

That was okay though. Maybe Alice's dolls weren't capable of speech?

Regardless, he thought they were neat. Lot's of complicated stuff had to work together in order to make something like that possible.

He had to wonder though...

Why did Shanghai's eyes start glowing a couple of minutes ago?

Not that he minded necessarily. They were a really nice shade of blue, like Alice's eyes.

Speaking of Alice…

He had enjoyed meeting her.

She was very pretty. It seemed like all the humanoid youkai he met were. Beautiful eyes, immaculate golden hair, porcelain skin, cute dress… She was almost like a doll herself.

She maintained a tidy house and yard, and her focus on dolls and their use in combat was definitely unique. She seemed a little stiff at first, but relaxed more as they talked. She put a lot of thought into herself, and was passionate about her interests.

If there was one thing he loved to hear, it was people gushing about the stuff they really cared about.

Ultimately, he decided that he liked her, and he hoped they could speak again soon.

I just hope that I didn't weird her out too much with that whole 'connection' thing…

…

I guess having an escort really does help. I haven't been accosted by a single youkai this entire tim-

"Oh my~ What's this? A chance to eliminate my biggest competition?" A light, melodious voice floated down from above.

Eric's eyes whipped upwards and spotted a figure flying about 20 feet ahead of him above the path.

She had a brown dress, pink hair, and really long fingernails. The wings of a night sparrow stretched out from her back.

There was only one youkai he knew that matched that description.

"Oh, hello Mystia! What's up?" he greeted with a wave.

Mystia Lorelei gave a cutesy little giggle. "Oh, you know~ Just tying up some loose ends~"

She began to descend. "What's a tasty human like you doing out here at night?"

"Heading back to the Village. I kinda lost track of time and didn't notice how late it was."

"My my, how unfortunate~" Her voice tended to take on a syrupy quality when she was teasing people, and tonight she was laying it on thick.

Eric watched as Mystia continued to close the distance. "Um, you do know we're not direct competition, right?"

"Any money they spend with you is money they don't spend with me~"

"We're not open at the same time, and we don't even serve the same food."

"Y'know, I've been meaning to try a brand new recipe." Mystia grinned, showing her sharp teeth. "I just need some fresh ingredients."

"O-oh yeah? What's that?" He couldn't help but notice that her nails (claws? talons?) were looking extra dangerous tonight.

Mystia halted her approach and hovered just a few feet away. She pointed at him and answered sweetly. "Grilled human meat~"

On instinct, Eric tensed up.

Shanghai immediately brought her lance up and positioned herself between her charge and the night sparrow. The tip of the long weapon was less than a foot from Mystia's body, poised to strike.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

…

Then, the tension broke.

Mystia burst out laughing, almost doubling over. "Hahahahaha! Wow! You should've seen your face!" She pointed at Eric's face. "You really thought I was gonna attack you! Hahahaha! Oh, man, that was great!"

Eric looked to his side, a little embarrassed at himself. "You were giving off literally every hint that you wanted to eat me. I'd have to be both blind and deaf (to all but the song) not to notice!"

Mystia was still giggling. "Hehehe~ If I really wanted to eat you, I'd make you night blind with my song. Then, I'd swoop in from above. I wouldn't come from the front, you dummy."

She glanced at the doll who was still in a combat stance. "Besides, I wouldn't attack someone with protection. I'm not that bird-brained!"

"And you aren't supposed to kill villagers." Eric noted. It was a well kept secret, one that Keine had let slip to him at some point.

"Lots of people would come after you if you did."

The young night sparrow sobered a little at that and looked just a bit uncomfortable.

Fresh outsiders were fair game, but villagers were strictly forbidden. It was one of the rules of Gensokyo. "Um… yeah. I know that…"

Youkai still ate villagers sometimes, but if any 'Incident Resolvers' got wind of it, they were in for a bad time.

Gods forbid you draw the ire of the Hakurei Miko...

Sensing the abrupt shift in mood, Eric moved to change the subject. "A-anyways, for real this time. What's up?"

Mystia recovered quickly. "Mmm, not much actually."

She focused her gaze on the doll that was still between her and the human. "So, you met the weird doll lady?"

"Yeah, actually!" Then he added dryly, "How could you tell?"

Mystia looked so done in that moment. "Feh, she's mean. She and that black-white witch beat me up in a duel one time."

"Oh?"

"It was two on one! How is that fair anyways!?" Mystia actually pouted. "I mean, I was the one who challenged them, but still."

Eric just shrugged in response.

"Well, whatever. I've gotta get going." She turned away.

"Were you running your stand tonight?"

"No~pe!" she popped the 'p.' "I'm taking the night off. Why? Were you hoping for a meal?" she teased.

"Sounds tempting. If I didn't have to open the store in the morning, that is. That grilled lamprey of yours is pretty good." Eric knew first-hand just how good of a cook Mystia could be when it came to her business.

"Well… too bad! I'm dedicating tonight to my singing~" She started to hum as she ascended above the path once more.

"See you when you stop by the cafe again, then?" Eric called upwards.

"Probably! The crew hasn't been there in a while. Don't get yourself eaten before then! Ciao!"

With a little flit of her wings, Mystia flew out of sight. Eric could hear the beginning of her song in the distance.

He let out a deep sigh, trying to flush the lingering stress out of his body.

Mystia was… a bit much sometimes.

He didn't really think that she would attack him; she was a regular customer who always brought along friends. However, that didn't mean he wasn't at least somewhat afraid.

Fear was the natural response to a youkai, after all.

Shanghai had lowered her lance by that point, and she was now staring at Eric blankly. Her eyes still glowed in the night.

Eric sighed once more and spoke. "Thanks Shanghai. I'm pretty sure she was kidding, but I appreciate you trying to defend me."

He hesitated a moment, and then reached out his hand and patted the doll on the head.

Shanghai didn't react, so he turned back towards the Village and said, "Alright, we're almost there. Let's go!"

...

As he approached the gates, Eric cringed a little internally.

Mystia was a huge gossip, so she'd probably tell everyone who'd listen about how she scared him tonight.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

On the other side of the crystal ball, Alice sighed deeply.

That damned night sparrow.

Alice wasn't even part of the conversation, and yet she still felt exhausted by Mystia's antics. In her opinion, she had far too much energy and not nearly enough common sense.

What was she thinking, threatening them like that? She was lucky that Shanghai didn't riddle her with holes for even approaching.

…At least she only stuck around for a little bit of banter before flying off again.

When the duo reached the Village not long after, Alice felt the tension in her shoulders relax.

She was confident in Shanghai's abilities, but it still came as a relief that the journey hadn't been more… troublesome.

It would have been a great time to tune out and get some sleep. However, she could not help but feel a little curious.

What did this man's home look like? Did he live in the café? Did he have his own little house in the Village? If he practiced magic, did he have any grimoires or magical apparatuses or artifacts?

This curiosity kept Alice glued to the image within the ball.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

As Eric stepped up to his door and reached into his pocket for his key, he made a mental note.

Shanghai's eyes had yet to stop glowing.

Wonder if they're gonna be like that all night? Kinda like a magical night light.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

It was somewhat difficult to make out all the details in the dark, but from the outside, Eric's cafe looked like it occupied a western styled, two story building.

Since he was now unlocking the front door, Alice concluded that he lived on the second floor above the cafe. Such a thing was relatively common in certain parts of the outside world.

Shanghai entered behind Eric and floated in place just inside the doorway. This gave Alice an opportunity to survey the dimly lit interior.

Several windows allowed moonlight to filter in and somewhat illuminate the room. There was a counter, behind which were various cooking appliances and shelves. Chairs were stacked upside down on the several tables that occupied the dining area. Booths and tables lined the walls.

She heard him say "It's much more interesting in the daytime," before he opened a side door and stepped through it. The door led to a small landing that contained a staircase and another door with the word "Supply" on it.

Shanghai continued following Eric up the stairs, which led to a short hallway with two doors.

Alice had not noticed it until now, but there were switches on the walls and what looked like light fixtures on the ceiling. Had the kappa rigged his building with electricity?

Eric opened the door on the left and walked through it. Shanghai floated over to it, but then stopped. Her gaze was fixed on the other, closed door.

He must have noticed this, because Alice heard him say "Curious, huh? That's uh… the bathroom."

Ah. Of course. That was, in fact, a human need and something that youkai, thankfully, did not have to worry about.

Something about their mostly magical existence prevented waste production. Theoretically, their bodies converted all food and water into the same energy that sustained them.

Alice, as a former human herself, knew it was much more convenient this way.

...Not that it wasn't still a mildly taboo topic.

Shanghai had already continued through the open door and into what was definitely a bedroom. It wasn't messy, but it did come across as disheveled.

"Okie doke. Make yourself at home! I've gotta go get comfy."

And with that, Shanghai was left alone. She floated around, surveying different parts of the room, giving Alice an adequate look at everything.

It was a fairly normal bedroom.

There were common things like a bed, a dresser, a tall bookshelf, a desk, a table, and a couple of chairs. A chest sat at the foot of the bed. Various books, papers, knick-knacks, and more covered the flat surfaces in the room.

Another door likely led to a closet. It was closed.

Alice had to resist the urge to straighten everything up.

Wait... could she even control Shanghai from this distance?

She made an attempt to move Shanghai forward, but it didn't manifest. She made a mental note to test the range limit on direct control.

The only things in the room that would hint at something unusual would have been the small collection of grimoires on one of the shelves of the bookshelf.

The Magician's Cookbook.

The Best Defense is a Good Defense.

Elemental Magic for Dullards.

101 Methods to Improve Your Flight.

Balablob's Book of Imaginary Creatures: How to Beat Them Up!

Alice read both the titles and authors aloud to herself.

Is this what he learned magic from? Not a single respectable magician among that whole lot! No wonder he said he was struggling with something as simple as danmaku!

Apparently, Eric had re-entered the room, because Alice then heard him say "Interested in my books? I can pull one out for you, if you like."

Shanghai turned towards him in response, but said nothing.

Eric, who now wore a plain shirt and pajama pants, just shrugged. "I figured I'd offer, just in case."

With that, he turned toward his bed and collapsed dramatically into it.

"You're good to sleep wherever you find comfortable…" He let out a long sigh and took off his glasses.

"Hmmm, do dolls even need to sleep?" he wondered aloud. His glasses now rested on the nightstand.

"Thanks again for escorting me. I really do appreciate it."

He yawned. "I'll have to thank Alice too… She seemed really nice."

Another yawn. "Welp, g'night..."

...

Hmmm, Alice really should be getting to bed, too. She had not anticipated staying awake this late.

It was exciting that her little ritual with the crystal ball worked though!

Seeing the world from Shanghai's perspective was enlightening, and the small window into another person's life it provided was also quite intriguing. Tonight had certainly given her no shortage of things to ponder and test.

She laid back on her bed and whispered aloud. "Goodnight Shanghai… and goodnight Eric."

Then, she ended the connection through the crystal ball.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Shanghai hovered in the middle of Eric's bedroom.

Her eyes were no longer glowing, but they were once again scouring her surroundings.

The state of this room was an affront to her doll sensibilities. Alice would never have left so many things out of place.

There were books to shelve, papers to stack, surfaces to dust, and much more to do.

She might have a proper name, but she was still one of Alice's dolls, and Alice's will would be done.

~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~

(Originally posted 5/31/2023)

(Update 09/15/2023: Wellll, I went ahead and gave this chapter the same treatment that I gave the first. Adjusting paragraph structure, fixing phrasing, and generally making the chapter flow better. I wouldn't call it a full remaster, but I think the chapter is a better read now.)

I, uh, figured it would be better to have a few chapters out before settling down into regular updates. A bit more story to chew on.

So, chapter two! The first look at one of the recurring side characters!

I like Mystia as a character. And in this context, I thought it would be fun to have a little bit of camaraderie among restaurant owners.

I don't think she actually has to eat humans, they just taste good. I'm sure she freaks people out enough at night to sustain herself, so she, uh, doesn't eat as many as she used to. Besides, you can't go eating your own customers, now can you?

There's a little bit of magic shenanigans. Alice commits espionage. Crystal balls, am I right?

Also, what the doll doin'?

Thank you for reading, and have a great day!